Are You Ready For Love
by LunasStar
Summary: It's five years after the Lupin gang started terrorizing Interpol. What would happen if love triangle's and hidden pasts threatened to break the gang apart? Will anything be the same again?R&R Plz. Complete:
1. Complicated

Are You Ready For Love

Chapter One: Complicated

Chapter Summary: You meet my characters, and you find out about the problems in their lives.

Disclaimer: Lupin The Third is property of Pioneer entertainment.

Author's Note: I think these chapters will be the names of songs; I have a few songs that go with this couple that I am hoping to use on them.

Goemon looked over as he watched Fujiko as she talked to Lupin. For the past two years he has watched her waste her life on that man. Last year he had thought he had moved on, only to have his heart crushed. He has been working with Lupin for going on five years now; Fujiko has been dating him for the past two and a half.

The only person that knew how he felt was his friend Jigen. Jigen has been even more closed since that Spanish dancer tried to get him and Lupin to kill each other. He had fallen for that girl as soon as he saw her, and she crushed him. She was working for a guy in the Mafia that he had been running from when he joined Lupin. Goemon sighed and walked out of the room.

He couldn't stomach the way Fujiko was looking at Lupin. It was becoming harder and harder to hide his feelings from Fujiko. He didn't know how much longer he could hold them in. He didn't understand this, things between them used to be so simple, and now their not.

"You okay," he heard a gruff voice ask.

Goemon turned around to see Jigen standing, leaning against the way with a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, and his hat pulled down low.

"Yeah, just can't stomach that much," Goemon said.

"I know what you mean, he has her literally eating out of the palm of his hand," Jigen muttered.

"What are you complaining about, you don't trust woman, remember," Goemon said.

"I know, and I don't, I haven't since I was a teenager, and I never will again," he said, throwing his cigarette down and walking into the building.

Goemon wished he felt the same way.

Fujiko looked up when Goemon walked out of the room. Things with him had been so tense lately. He had been her best friend and confidant when she was twelve and older.

When she was a teenager she went through some tough times and he had been there for her. Now, she wanted her best friend on her side, and he isn't talking to her. She had no idea why, and she had no idea how to get him to talk to her again. He was the most important thing in her life, and she really wanted things to be right with him.

"You okay Fujicakes, looking a little down there," Lupin said to her cheerfully.

"Yeah, I'm okay," she told him, with a fake smile.

"Alright, wanted to make sure my girl was happy," he said.

"She's happy," she told him.

She noticed Jigen come in, and gave him a small smile. He had helped them on some many occasions. Even though she knew he didn't like her personally, she couldn't help but respect the man. He had been hurt so much, and he had barely let it show. Unless you call becoming more withdrawn and gruff showing that you had had your heart broke.

"Are you listening to me," Lupin asked her.

"Yeah, I'm listening," Fujiko lied.

"What did I just say then?" he asked her.

"Sorry, I can't remember, I was too busy looking at you," she said, knowing he would fall for it.

"Oh," he replied.

As Lupin went back to talking, (more than likely about the next heist), Fujiko's thoughts once again drifted back to her best friend Goemon. She didn't know when it happened, but she needed him in her life. She would always need him. He was her rock and she wanted him to be there for her.

She didn't know when her relationship with her best friend got so complicated but it did. She only hoped things worked out.

Author's Note: I know the first chapter wasn't that strong. But it was only to introduce the characters in my story. This chapter's title came from the song Complicated by Caroline Dawn Johnson. A song about a best friend in love with another friend, I thought it fit. Please review, next chapter will be up soon.

LunasStar


	2. How Did I Fall In Love With You

Are You Ready For Love

Chapter Two: How Did I Fall In Love With You

Disclaimer: you guys all know the drill. I don't own Lupin The Third. He is property of Pioneer Entertainment.

Author's Note: Please excuse me if this fic isn't that great. It is just that I don't know as much about Lupin The Third, like I do in my Harry Potter fic.

Chapter Summary: you get to learn more of Goemon's feelings for Fujiko. Also, why he feels the way he does about her relationship with Lupin.

**_BACKSTREET BOYS _**

_"How Did I Fall In Love With You?" _

_I don't want to live this life  
I don't want to say goodbye  
With you I wanna spend  
The rest of my What can I do, to make it right  
Falling so hard so fast this time  
What did I say, what did you do?  
How did I fall in love with you?_

Goemon Isikawa rolled over in his bed and looked at the ceiling. He could tell that Jigen was awake; he had heard the sound on a cigarette being lit.

"Why do you always smoke," he asked to the man across the room.

"It helps me think," Jigen replied.

"What are you thinking about," Goemon asked; more out of his need to keep his mind off Fujiko than interest.

"Nothing much," Jigen replied.

"Don't tell me you're thinking of that fool of a dancer who broke your heart," Goemon said.

"What gives you that idea," Jigen asked sharply.

"Because, since we left Spain you have been one cranky and unhappy person," Goemon said.

"To make you feel any better, no I am not thinking about her, I haven't thought about her in a while," Jigen said.

"Really, because it seems to me that you're constantly remembering her," Goemon said shaking his head. "Admit it Jigen, you fell in love with a girl at first sight and she tried to have you killed."

"Why do you have to constantly bring it up if you don't want me to think about it," Jigen asked him, putting out his cigarette.

"You refuse to admit it, that's why," Goemon said.

"Refuse to admit what?"

"That you had forgotten your mistrust of woman, and had been betrayed," Goemon said.

"Goemon, just drop the subject," Jigen told him.

"Fine, but you can't deny it forever, you have to let people know how you feel and what you're feeling sometime," Goemon said.

"You're certainly one to talk Goemon; you never let people know how you feel," Jigen muttered.

"Jigen, I know, you don't like becoming close to people, but in the last four years we have traveled together, you have become one of my closest friends, and I'm worried about you," Goemon said.

"You don't have to worry about me Goemon," Jigen said. "I'm okay."

"Still, you have closed your self off from everyone," Goemon said.

"I have always been a closed person," Jigen told him.

"But not to your friends you haven't," Goemon said.

"Well, maybe because I don't have many friends," Jigen replied.

"Well, if you need a friend, I'm here for you," Goemon said.

"Thanks for the sappy moment," he told him back.

"It was kinda sappy wasn't," Goemon said with a small grin.

"Sorta, so what's been on your mind, besides Fujiko being sucked into Lupin's every word," Jigen asked.

"Just that, I can't handle it Jigen, you know how I feel about her, how I've always felt about her," Goemon said.

"I know man, but she's in love with Lupin, you know that," Jigen told him.

"I know, and I want her to be with me," Goemon muttered.

"That's normal," Jigen told him.

"Am I just a horrible person for not wanting her to be with Lupin when she loves him?" Goemon asked.

"No, you're just a fool in love," Jigen told him.

"I am huh?" Goemon asked.

"Yeah, you are," Jigen replied.

"Then were you a fool in love," Goemon asked.

"I was more than a fool," Jigen muttered.

"Hey, don't be so hard on yourself, I would have fell for her act also," Goemon said. "Look at Isabelle she fooled me, had me thinking she loved me."

"True," Jigen said looking back out the window.

"I'm going to go for a walk Jigen, I'll be back in a few," Goemon said, he knew the Jigen was going into one of his serious moments.

Goemon didn't know what it was, but he had a feeling that Jigen has been hurt by more than women in his life. As he shut the door he saw Jigen light another cigarette as he was looking out the window.

Fujiko rolled over in bed and looked at the ceiling. It was no use, she couldn't sleep. She had too much on her mind. She looked over at Lupin who was dead asleep next to her. For once in her life, she envied him. She couldn't get to sleep in her life depended on it.

She tried to get up, but couldn't, seeing as Lupin's arms were wrapped around her waist. Finally she got free, put a robe around her nightgown, and walked to the window. It seemed to her as if she was putting on an act for Lupin. It seemed as if he didn't know who she really was. It's been like that for a while in her life. She put on this happy go lucky façade and it wasn't her at all. Her life has been a living hell since she was sixteen. The only constant thing in her life was her best friend, and she feared that she had lost him.

She loved Lupin yeah, but things were not great between them. It seemed as if she couldn't tell him things about her past. She knew that he would probably judge her for him, and she didn't blame him. Fujiko looked over at Lupin sleeping and sighed. No matter how many times her mind told her she should leave him, that things would be much easier that way. Her heart keeps telling her that she should stay. She looked back out the window and saw Goemon walking on the sidewalk. She almost called out to him, but she thought better of it.

That's when he looked up and saw her standing on the balcony. She saw him smile so she smiled back and waved. That's when he waved for her to come down. She didn't think twice about it, she grabbed some sweats and a t-shit and threw them on, then ran downstairs to the sidewalk.

"Hey," she said catching up with him.

"Hello," he said.

"Beautiful night, isn't it," she asked him.

"Yeah, it is," he told her, with a small smile.

"How are you Goemon? We haven't really had a conversation in a while," she asked him.

"I'm great, what about you," he told her.

"Well, right now, I'm great. How can I not be? I'm talking to my best friend," she told him, then hugged him.

"Are you okay," he asked her, concerned.

Fujiko shook her head into his chest then looked up, he could see the tears in her eyes.

"Fujiko, what's wrong," Goemon said.

"I'm just scared, scared that if Lupin finds out the truth about me, he will leave me," she admitted, crying now.

Goemon tensed, then calmed down. He should have known she was scared about her relationship about Lupin. Though she did seem generally glad to see him, he thought.

"It's okay Fujiko, if he loves you, he won't judge you on it," Goemon said.

"Your right," she said, and sighed.

Goemon put his arm around her and lead her to follow him.

"Come on, lets go somewhere to hang out, where you don't have to worry about this," he told her.

"Alright," she said.

Goemon and Fujiko made there way down the road, hearts feeling lighter than they did earlier.

Daisuke Jigen leaned out his window thinking. He couldn't help but think about what Goemon had said. It was true that he had changed since Reina had down what she did to him. That was the name of the dancer who tried to get him killed. She had seemed so innocent and so scared when he had tried to, or so he thought, help her get away from her crazy boss.

It turned out that she was working for someone that Jigen had known in the pas, and was trying to get him killed. Jigen lit his cigarette and looked out the window again. he had fallen for her, and he did feel really stupid for it. He had prided himself on not being tricked by woman, and the first time he had let his guard down, he had almost gotten himself killed. He wouldn't make that mistake twice. He knew now that he would probably never trust another woman in his life.

He let out the smoke from his cigarette and walked back into his room. He put his cigarette and laid down on the bed looking at the ceiling. He hoped that Goemon had better luck with Fujiko than he had with Reina. God knows that he deserved it.

A.N. Don't worry, the story gets happier, but it all starts out really sad and depressing, and serious. Please read and review my story. I hope you enjoy.

Thank you. LunasStar


	3. How Do I Get There

Are You Ready For Love

Author's Note: I am happy with the response this story is getting. It seems to be better my Harry Potter Story. If you are interested in Harry Potter, check out my story Lights In The Darkness.

Disclaimer: Not Mine.

Chapter Title: How Do I Get There

Chapter Summary: You learn more about their pasts. Also, Lupin makes a small appearance, for a Lupin story, it's based mostly on Fujiko and Goemon by the way.

_How do I get there from here  
How do I make you see  
How do I tell you what my heart's been telling me  
Lost in your lovin' arms that's where I wanna be  
You know I love you  
How do I get there_

Deana Carter, How Do I Get There

Fujiko sat in the restaurant with Goemon looking out the window. She was glad she decided to come with him; for some reason being with Goemon always made her calm. He was the only person she knew who didn't judge her for what she was in high school. That could be because Goemon is the only person she knows and spends time with from her high school these days. Then again she and Goemon were outcasts anyway.

Fujiko looked at Goemon and smiled.

For some reason he seemed nervous and she didn't know why. He seemed to be looking everywhere but at her.

"Goemon, are you okay?" she asked him.

"Yeah, great why," he said, a little too quickly.

"Cause you seem nervous," she replied.

"Me, no I'm not nervous," Goemon said.

"Yes, you are, why?" Fujiko asked.

"No I'm not, now are you going to order," he said with a grin.

"Right," she said.

Dinner was somewhat awkward after that. She didn't know why, but Goemon seemed anxious. By the end of dinner neither had spoken for like ten minutes, and Fujiko for the first time in her life was happy to see a dinner with Goemon end. She looked at him as they walked down the street. Once again he seemed detached and nervous; she still had no clue as to why he was acting like this.

"Goemon, you sure your okay," she asked him.

"I'm sure," he said and smiled at her.

"I hope so, you're not saying much," she told him.

"I'm the silent type remember," Goemon said.

"Right," she replied.

After a few minutes of more silence Fujiko was starting to get annoyed. It seemed as if Goemon had lost all interest in any conversation with her and she had no idea why.

"Goemon, tell me, why are you so quiet," she demanded of him.

"What do you mean," he asked.

"Ever since dinner you have spoken barely a few sentences to me, why?"

"I just have a lot on my mind," he told her.

"That it?" he asked her.

"Yeah, that's it," he replied.

"Okay," she said smiling. "I thought it was me."

"No," he told her. Inside he was thinking that of course it was her, he just couldn't tell her what was on his mind.

"Ok then," she said, and they walked silently back to the hotel.

When Fujiko got back to her room she sat down on the bed and looked out the room. She still had a feeling that Lupin would never feel the same about her if she told him her past. The only person who knows about her past without being her mother or father was Goemon. That was only because of a terrible mistake her father had made.

Her family had come into some new money through of inheritance her father had got from his father. He had become instantly popular in the community because the amount of inheritance. Well at a house party he went to, he found that the best way to stay popular was through having a courtesan in the house to please the guest. What better person than his beautiful sixteen year old girl?

He knew she was quite pretty and developing quite well, extremely well in fact. He knew that she was quite popular among men, no matter what age, extending from the time you start liking women to the age were your so old you don't notice anything anymore, she was attracting a lot of attention.

Well, he went to her and told her that if she didn't make a guest he sent to her that night happy, then she would have regretted it. At first she didn't know what he meant, but it sunk in. She was appalled by the idea but she was even more scared of her father. That went on for about a year before Goemon found out.

Goemon had been three when his parents died. Then he lived with his grandfather until he was about fourteen until he died. After that he went to go live a samurai. One day the samurai decided he wanted to go to one of his dads parties. Her dad had made arrangements for her to "entertain" the samurai, but he had switched rooms on her, and she had been sent to Goemon's room.

Goemon had been shocked when she had walked in the room in nothing but a silk robe. Finally he had gotten the story out of her, with her crying on his shoulder the whole time. A few months after that, her dad had made it to where he had gotten her to go to the room of a man named Satoshe Higurashi, a business man. The man had been appalled when he found out that Fujiko was the son of the man who ordered her to do this. He had snuck her out of the house and became her legal guardian for a year.

Then she had met Lupin and talked Goemon into following her into the trade of thievery. Sometimes she regretted that decision more than she can say. But there was nothing she could do about that now, what was done was done. Just with her past, no point in might have been that's a waste of time. She sighed and looked at her mirror.

She didn't really have a problem with her reflection; it was the person the reflection was of. She didn't like who she was. She didn't feel as if she was any better than she was when she was at her dad's house. Fujiko got up and got dressed for bed, no point on dwelling on it now.

Jigen watched as Goemon walked in the room looking half dazed. It was slightly amusing to see the samurai shaken up.

"What's wrong," he asked, fighting back a grin.

"I went for dinner with Fujiko," he said glumly.

"And?"

"And it was horrible," he said.

"How?"

"I was so nervous that I didn't say barely a full sentence at a time, and she thought it was because of her," Goemon said.

"You don't have to worry about that stuff, she's still with Lupin, wait until their over with before you really start worrying about dates," Jigen said.

"Your right," Goemon said.

Jigen looked at Goemon, and for the first time in his life, found himself actually smiling. Jigen looked at Goemon as a brother. Probably because Jigen had no family as he was growing up. When he got past the age for adoption, he was shipped from foster home to foster home.

His parents had put him up for adoption when he was born. What he found out from sneaking into his files was that his mom and dad were sixteen when he was born. He had snuck his papers to look up on his past. He had been put up for adoption in the hospital. His parents had said they wanted him to be better off; apparently they had lived really for apart. His mom and dad had met over a summer vacation. He had found out how to contact his mom and had done just that.

He had written her a letter and asked how she was and why she had put him up for adoption, things a sixteen year old kid would want to know, who had never had parents. When he had asked her about his father she had written back and told him that it was a sore subject. That she had never married him, and since that summer hadn't heard from him.

He found out when he was twenty that she had remarried and he had a step dad. That was about one year ago, now he had a little sister on the way. A sister he would probably never meet. He had told his mom what he did for a life. She had seemed of course disappointed but didn't really say anything about it, knowing that she had given up all her rights on his since the day he was born.

"Jigen, you okay, you seem a million miles away," he heard Goemon ask.

"Oh, yeah, sorry, I'm fine," he told him.

"So did Lupin ever tell you where we would be going on our heist," he asked.

"Yeah, something called the Temple of Brahma," Jigen said. "It's in India."

"Why would we be going to England," Goemon asked.

"There's a ruby there big enough to impress Fujiko," Jigen replied.

"Of course," Goemon replied.

A.N. Hey, third chapter. This one was a chapter to tell you about the history of the characters. I know there was a lot of angst in it, but it will get happier. I would like to thank my friend Jodie for her support. Psycho-Katrina 13 if you may. Thank you to Fox Xanatos for you support and reviews. Also, J Daisuke, thank you for the review and support. Also, if you like Harry Potter fics I have one called Lights In The Darkness, one called Shadows On The Wall, and I have a bunch of one shot fics, I also have an Inuyasha fic named The Heart Won't Lie.


	4. I'll Be

Are You Ready For Love

Disclaimer: Not mine, no matter how much I want it to be.

Author's Note: Well, here it is, chapter four. I don't know how you reacted to chapter three, but if you reacted well to it, you'll like this one.

Chapter Title: I'll Be

Chapter Summary: The flight to India, and conversations on the Helicopter.

_I'll be the rock that will be strong for you. _

_The one that will hold on to you. _

_When you feel that rain falling down. _

_When there's nobody else around. I'll be._

I'll Be, Reba McEntire

The Helicopter was finally all set up, they had their supplies all together and they were finally on their way. Fujiko was the last to get on, and being the last she had to sit beside Goemon who never sat up front.

"Hey," she said sitting down next to him.

"Hello," he replied with a smile.

"You seem to be in a cheery mood today," she told him.

"I am, I finally finished what I was thinking of last night," he told her.

"What did you have to figure out," she asked.

"Not much, just where I wanted to be," he said.

"And where do you want to be," she asked.

"Right beside my best friend for whenever she needs me," he replied.

Fujiko looked at him with a brilliant smile lighting up her face. He knew that was the right thing to say, apparently she had been thinking he didn't want to be there anymore. Or else that wouldn't have made her so happy.

Jigen looked over at Lupin's seat out of the corner of his eye. From what he could see, Lupin didn't look too happy about the way Goemon was sweet talking his woman.

"You okay Lupin," he asked as he started the Helicopter.

"Just peachy," he replied looking out the window.

"Alright," Jigen replied with a smirk.

The Helicopter lifted off and soared into the air. As it flew off, two people ran on to the top of the roof they were on.

One was wearing a trench coat and a hat, to all appearances he looked like an ape in a trench coat. Next to him, was a bored looking blond hair woman.

"Well Zenigata, looks like we missed him," she sighed.

"I know Lorraine," he replied. "DAMN YOU LUPIN!"

That one shoat reverberated through out the whole city. Once again, Inspector Souta Zenigata was foiled by Lupin The Third.

Meanwhile in the helicopter the atmosphere wasn't much better. Fujiko had fallen asleep on Goemon's shoulder causing Lupin to be even madder. He seemed to be worried about Goemon taking his girl, and he very well should be, Jigen thought.

If Fujiko belonged with anyone in this group it was Goemon. He was always there for her, and he would always be. He would follow Fujiko into the very bowels of hell, if it meant he could be with her. He loved her as if she was the last woman on earth, although he didn't show it.

"Goemon, why don't you lay her down so she can wake up comfortable," Jigen asked him.

"Right," Goemon said, and laid her down beside him.

After a while Goemon was running his fingers through Fujiko's hair, it was obvious to Jigen just how much he cared for Fujiko. Either Lupin was just plain dumb, or he was pretending he didn't notice the way the samurai looked at her when she wasn't looking. The love Goemon felt for Fujiko shinned in his eyes every time he looked at her. All in all it was making Jigen mad that he wouldn't tell Fujiko the truth, if he did, it would be easier for her to break away from Lupin. It was obvious she wasn't happy with him.

She looked like she was lost whenever she looked at him. He was there for her when she was vulnerable, though he didn't know anything about her past, he knew that it had weakened her for some reason. He only hoped she got her strength back before she hurt Goemon more than he can handle.

She was hurting him now by staying with Lupin. She may not know it, but she was hurting. People didn't expect him to understand people's feelings because he didn't show what he was feeling on his face. Little did they know he understood their feelings better than they did. Especially when it comes to feeling lost. Jigen shook his head and continued the flight to India. This would be one long flight indeed.

After they landed they all checked into a hotel. Thankfully they finally were able to all get a room. All the other hotels they were in didn't have enough room for them all to get their own rooms. Goemon walked up stairs, and sighed.

Things had looked and felt pretty cozy with Fujiko asleep on his shoulder and then, laying with her head on his leg today. Inside though, it was torture. Her being there and he not being able to really hold her in his arms was hard on him. He loved her so much. She was the only person in his life he could really turn to. She knew everything about him, just as he knew everything about her.

The night he had found out what her father had done to her had ruined all his illusions about her. He had thought of her as unattainable until then. Then she had spilled her heart out to him, and he had thought of her as more of a person who needed loved because of that. When she told him her story, he had been filled with such a rage as he had never known before. It was unexplainable and unavoidable. She had become the only girl he had wanted to be with after that.

If it hadn't been because of his sensei wanting to take him to see Fujiko on her birthday he would have never known what happened to her. Fujiko's birthday was the day after that party and they were going to stay in town and visit. His sensei had accepted the birthday dinner in favor to Goemon so he could be in town on her birthday. The rooms she was supposed to visit had somehow gotten mixed up, and she had told him everything. He was glad she did, he was sure if she hadn't she would have done something drastic so as to get out of what her father had done to her.

Goemon sighed and lay down on his bed. After all these years Fujiko was still the topmost thought in his mind, and she always will be.

Fujiko's thoughts were going in a similar direction. How could Goemon care that much about her? She wasn't that important to him was she? She didn't deserve his unwavering loyalty. She had destroyed anything that he could become, and still he was with her no matter what. He had once told her that he would be here rock whenever she needed him to be. Well he has and she owed him big time for it. Well one of these days she will pay him back. What ever he wanted she would do for him. With that resolve Fujiko rolled over and went to sleep. Not knowing the can of worms that resolve will open.

A.N. Next chapter they will be in the temple of Brahma. Well please Read and Review. Also, please check out my Harry Potter stories Shadows On The Wall, and Lights In The Darkness.

Thank You,

LunasStar


	5. Holding Out For A Hero

Are You Ready For Love

Chapter Title: Holding Out For A Hero

Disclaimer: Look back to the other chapters.

Author's Note: This story has gotten a better response than what I expected and please keep it that way.

_I need a hero  
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night  
He's gotta be strong  
And he's gotta be fast  
And he's gotta be fresh from the fight  
I need a hero  
I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light  
He's gotta be sure  
And it's gotta be soon  
And he's gotta be larger than life_

_Holding Out For a Hero, Bonnie Tyler_

Chapter Summery: They enter the Temple of Brahma.

Goemon rolled over and groaned. It was the next morning and he didn't want to get up. He didn't want to face Fujiko being all over Lupin. He really couldn't stand it, it sickened him.

Finally he sat up and struggled to get out of bed. When he finally got downstairs breakfast was already done and they were already planning on what they were going to do that night. When she saw him Fujiko waved and motioned for him to sit beside her.

"Hey," she said when he sat down beside her.

"Hi," he replied.

Soon the whole gang was immersed in a conversation about how to get into The Temple of Brahma and what was in it. Goemon soon lost all interest in the conversation and tuned it out.

It wasn't until later that day that he had a chance to talk to Fujiko.

She was sitting out on the balcony of the hotel room when he walked out. She had a look on her face that told him things weren't going that great.

"You okay?" he asked her sitting down beside her.

"Yeah, why," she said.

"You just look a little out of it is all," he told her.

"It's just been a long day," she told him.

"Are you sure," he asked.

"Yes Goemon," she replied.

"Can I ask you something Fujiko," he said.

"Sure," she told him.

"Are you happy with Lupin," he asked.

"Of course," she replied shocked.

"Really," he inquired.

"Really," she said.

"OK, just making sure," he told her.

Goemon didn't let Fujiko know how much pain those words caused him. He wanted her happy of course; he just wanted her with him. He loved her more than he ever loved Isabella. She was the only girl in the world for him, and she was the only girl he knew he couldn't have.

"Goemon, you okay, you look out of it," she told him.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he told her forcing a smile.

"Come on, I know you better than anyone else, so what is it," she asked.

"It's nothing," he told her light heartedly no matter how much he didn't feel it.

"Alright, you ready for tonight," she asked him.

"Yeah," he replied.

"Okay, I'll see you later alright, I told Lupin I would meet him downstairs," she said standing up.

"Bye," he said as he watched her walk off.

Goemon watched her walk off and shook his head. He needed to get these visions of them together out of his mind. It will never happen and he knew it. Fujiko belonged to Lupin and she wanted Lupin, which was obvious seeing as they spend most of their free time in bed. Goemon leaned over and looked at the land below the baloney. He had changed his mind. He wasn't going on tonight's heist. They could do without him for this once.

Fujiko walked downstairs and went over to where Lupin was waiting. She was still thinking about how peculiar Goemon was acting. Lately he has been drifting away from her, she needed her best friend by her side and he was that. He was the one that kept her strong.

"Hey Fujicakes," Lupin said.

"Hey," she replied with a small smile.

"You okay," he asked.

"Great."

The afternoon carried on like that. She was hiding her feelings from Lupin like always and her worrying about Goemon. That night Goemon dropped a bombshell, he wasn't going to be coming along with them.

It took a full half hour of them trying to talk him into it that they finally gave up. Goemon wasn't going to come and that was that. They walked out to the car and sat down. Jigen was oddly quiet and it bugged Fujiko. She knew that he knew why Goemon wasn't coming on, and she wanted to know. He wasn't going to tell her though and she knew it. That man was known for his silences.

(Here's the action scene you guys, and don't be too hard on me, I'm not good with action.)

When they got to The Temple of Brahma Fujiko understood why Goemon didn't want to come along. She wished she hadn't. The place had an eerie way about it.

When they got inside the whole place was dark. You couldn't see the foot in front of you. They lit torches and walked inside. The whole place seemed to be some kind of old building structure. Like they had tried to build something inside and gave up. Pieces of broken wood, and abandoned outside structures littered the ground and wall.

They walked along the passage until they found a twisting wooden bridge leading to the other side. The started slowly along the bridge, against Fujiko's better judgment she joined them. It was halfway across it that she felt the bridge start to shake. Fujiko grabbed the side of the bridge in fear and went even slower so as not disrupt the structure. Jigen turned when he heard the creak and went to go back to her, but she stopped him. Lupin on the other hand had made it across a lot earlier and was already working towards the jewel he saw on the statue of Brahma at the very end of the passage. He didn't even notice that he was the only one going towards the end of the passage. Then the bridge gave way underneath her.

Fujiko shrieked as she felt herself start to fall, quickly she grabbed the rope that held the wood of the bridge together and held on tight. She knew it was more than five hundred feet of a fall into the chasm below her and she didn't want to fall it. She felt her fingers start to slip, she knew that Jigen was trying to get to her, but that he would be able to make it. Suddenly she felt her fingers slip all the way off and her start to fall. This was the end and she knew it.

Well, how was that? Who do you think saves Fujiko? Does she get saved? And why does Jigen want to save her, he hates her guts? Questions that will be answered next chapter. Now you see why the chapter is called Holding Out For A Hero. And Please Review. I need them. Well, that's it, please look for the next one. Thanks, LunasStar. Sorry so short. It needed to be put out.


	6. Someone Saved My Life Tonight

Are You Ready For Love

Disclaimer: Not mine, how many times do I have tell people this.

Author's Note: I got quite a good response to the last chapter and I didn't expect it. I really hope to get the same to this one.

Chapter Title: Someone Saved My Life Tonight

Chapter Summary: Hmm, a little more descriptions on the last scene in the last chapter and what happened when they got out of Brahma.

_And someone saved my life tonight sugar bear  
You almost had your hooks in me didn't you dear  
You nearly had me roped and tied  
Altar-bound, hypnotized  
Sweet freedom whispered in my ear  
You're a butterfly  
And butterflies are free to fly  
Fly away, high away, bye bye_

_Someone Saved My Life Tonight, Elton John_

Fujiko walked onto the shaky bridge more than a little nervous. It seemed to be a long way down and she didn't necessarily think it would be enjoyable to try it out. She took a deep breath and started making her way across it. Her movements were slow so as not to disturb the making of the bridge. She know knew what this place was. It seemed a few years back someone had attempted to make a structure in the way of a temple to worship the statue of the God Brahma at the end of the long passage.

For some reason she didn't want to guess, construction had stopped at the end of the bridge. That didn't bode well with her, and she briefly wondered if there was a skeleton down that long drop off the bridge. Fujiko shook the thought from her mind and continued to walk. Jigen looked over at her and tried to get her to hurry up but she shook her head.

Jigen shook his head and turned around. She thought she heard him muttered something that resembled the words "Friggen Cowards," but couldn't be sure.

She wasn't going to hurry across a bridge like this, and then she heard a creak. Fujiko stopped where she was and grabbed the ropes at the sides. She wasn't going to risk falling.

Lupin had walked so far ahead of them he wasn't going to notice she wasn't behind him, and Jigen had just got to the other side and was waiting for her to come on and hurry up.

Once again Fujiko shook her head and started to practically crawl across the bridge. Then she felt one of the pieces of wood break under her heels and shrieked as the rope she was holding onto broke in half, thankfully not where she was holding it. She held on as tight as she could as she felt the bridge collide with the side of the concrete that was past of the dark chasm underneath her. To her it seemed like the mouth of a monster waiting to swallow her up if she dared to let go, which she didn't.

"Fujiko," she heard someone yell.

"What," she yelled back.

"Don't worry, we'll get you up," said the voice she recognized as Jigen's.

"Hurry," she said, wincing in pain. She was sure that her arm was broken at least.

Goemon hurried through the cave at an all out run. And if you have ever saw a samurai you know that they run fast. He had been staring at the map of the temple in his room and something he saw worried him. He had looked over at his sword Zantetsu-Ken and saw the shadow of death on its blade. Someone he cared about was in mortal danger and he didn't want to think about who.

Earlier that day he had been looking over a map of the old cave and saw something that shocked him. There was a temple to be made in it in the fifties and they had built a bridge over one of its deepest holes so they could get across it. But the construction stopped a year after when the manager fell down one of the holes. Their funding was gone so they stopped building. Though they had left a whole lot of paths into the cave for which he was thankful. He chose the one that would take him to the bridge he knew Lupin was destined to cross and hurried towards them.

That was when he heard the shriek. A genius didn't have to tell him who was in danger now. And he wasn't going to let Fujiko die. She meant way too much to him. Even if they were just friends he wasn't going to let the woman he loved die.

Goemon ran faster and wound up on Jigen's side of the cave. He knew he would pass up the bridge and he was glad he did. When he got there he saw Jigen leaning over and talking to someone over the cliff. He felt an icy feeling seize his gut when he realized who it was. He knew the bridge would break, but he never thought it would break under Fujiko.

He ran past Goemon and jumped over the side, shoving Zantetsu-Ken into the side of the cliff as he did. The sword would hold his weight and he knew it. Fujiko's rope snapped when he got to where she was, thinking quickly he grabbed the rope and pulled her into his arms.

"Goemon," she squeaked into his chest.

"Shh, don't worry I got you," he told her.

"But how," she said confused.

"Did you forget about my sword," he asked her.

"I guess," she said faintly.

Goemon looked up at Jigen and nodded his head.

Jigen grabbed the rope that had ripped and threw it down to them which Goemon wrapped around Fujiko's waist and wrapped in his hand and Jigen pulled up. On the way up Goemon pulled his sword out of the wall.

When they got to the top Goemon put Fujiko on the ground and wrapped his arms around her.

"You okay," he asked her.

Fujiko shook her head quickly; she seemed to have lost the ability to speak.

"Fujicakes, you okay," he heard Lupin ask.

He felt Fujiko tense in his arms; she didn't seem to be happy with Lupin. He felt her struggle to stand up and when she did, she was staring at Lupin thoroughly pissed.

"You knew that bridge was unstable didn't you," she asked.

"I knew it was old, but I never thought if would fall apart," he said.

"That's the problem Lupin, you never think," she snapped. "Let's go, I just want to get out of this place."

"Alright," Goemon said standing up.

Jigen nodded and turned to Lupin.

"Got what you wanted didn't you," he asked.

"Yeah," he said holing up a ruby about the size of Jigen's Stetson.

"Alright, come on," and they walked out of the cave the way Goemon came from.

Fujiko paced her room that night. She had too much pent up energy in her and she couldn't sleep. Every time she closed her eyes she had the unmistakable feeling that she was falling down a cliff.

Her arm had been wrapped in a sling upon the return back, it wasn't broken but it would be a while before she would use it properly and she had a good number of cuts and bruises on her.

She heard someone outside the door and opened it before they could even knock.

There Goemon stood with a look of nervousness on his face.

"Hey," she said smiling.

"Hi," he replied shuffling his feet.

"You okay Goemon," she asked.

"Just worried about you," he said walking in.

"I'm okay, thanks to you," she told him.

Goemon wrapped his arms around her. He couldn't help it, she had almost died without knowing how he felt and he couldn't stand that thought, though he knew he still wouldn't be able to tell her how he felt tonight.

"Goemon," she gasped. "I'm okay."

"I had to make sure, I was so scared," he told her.

"I know, but I'm fine," she replied.

Goemon couldn't take the tension anymore and just up and kissed her. Fujiko was shocked, but wasn't so shocked that she didn't kiss him back. It just felt right to be kissing Goemon. He broke the kiss of a few seconds later and looked at her.

"You should get some sleep," he said.

Fujiko nodded and he walked out the room. She was shocked to the bone; Goemon had kissed her and then acted like it was nothing. You don't just kiss someone like that on the spur of the moment, there has to be some feeling behind it. Could that be why he was acting so weird lately, he had feelings for her? A million questions like that were what lured Fujiko to sleep.

Goemon walked back to his room with a self satisfied smile on his face. Jigen looked up from the couch with a cigarette in his mouth when Goemon walked in.

"Well," he said, putting his cigarette out.

"She's going to sleep," Goemon replied.

"You're not telling me something," Jigen said with a smirk.

Goemon sighed and looked at Jigen. The guy reminded him of a school boy when it came to stuff like this. He always wanted to know what happened and when. And he wouldn't give up until he got the answers.

"I kissed her alright," Goemon said.

"You did huh?" Jigen said.

"Yes," Goemon said.

"What did she do," Jigen asked.

"Kissed me back," Goemon replied with a smile.

"Maybe there is hope for you two yet," Jigen said.

"Maybe," Goemon replied.

Goemon made his way to bed sometime later. All he could think about was how good it felt to hold Fujiko in his arms. It felt like she belonged there, and he was certain she did. He was certain she was the only one for him.

A.N. I know this song is about a man breaking up with his girlfriend, but I thought that the name of the song matched. And it is one of my favorite songs. Think about it, they went on the heist at night and Fujiko almost died. Then someone saved her life. Someone saved her life that night.

I would like to thank my reviewers Psycho-Katrina15, and Fox Xantos, you have no idea how much your reviews mean to mean. My stories haven't been getting that good of reviews but you guys made sure they did and thanks.

Thanks, LunasStar


	7. Have You Ever

Are You Ready For Love

Disclaimer: Property of Pioneer Entertainment

Author's Note: Sorry it took so long, had to find out what happened on this episode.

Chapter Title: Have You Ever

Chapter Summary: Cairo Egypt, possessed mask and confused feelings; And more about the ape in the trench coat.

_Have you ever loved somebody so much  
It makes you cry?  
Have you ever needed something so bad  
You can't sleep at night?  
Have you ever tried to find the words  
But they don't come out right?  
Have you ever?_

Have You Ever, Brandy

(On With The Story)

Lupin stared at the mask inside of the glass container. He knew how much he could get for that, and with the money he had gotten from the ruby in India he had only enough to fly to Cairo to stare at the beauty in front of him, and for once he wasn't thinking about Fujiko when he thought that. He was thinking about the mask of King Tut.

"Can you believe if Fujicakes, the mask of King Tut right in front of us, ours for the taking," he said looking at Fujiko beside him.

Fujiko had finally forgiven him for almost getting her killed. So things were great now, he had his eye on the treasure and his girl by his side. He only wished that Jigen and Goemon would show more interest in their plans for tonight.

"How are we going to get this thing lover," Fujiko asked him.

"Don't worry about it babe, I have it all under control," he said and they walked out.

(Later On That Night)

"Well, we know one thing, the security system is in a grid pattern, and the platform that holds the mask isn't connected to the floor. All we have to do is find a way to get the platform out of the museum and we're home free," Lupin told everyone.

Lupin looked up to see Jigen and Goemon looking at him with bemused expressions on their faces.

"What's wrong with you two," he asked them.

"There is a curse on the mask," Goemon told him handing Lupin the brochure and Fujiko took it away.

"You actually believe those things," Fujiko said looking at the brochure. "It's just some play to attract tourist."

"People who found the mask have fallen dead," he told her then turned to Lupin. "You see this?"

Goemon pulled out his sword and put it in Lupin's face.

"Just a bad practical joke I'm hoping," Lupin wined.

"A shadow on the blade, the shadow of death," he told him getting up and walking out.

"Tell me you don't believe that superstitious stuff," Lupin asked Jigen.

"No but my feet have been itching like hell, athletes foot kicks in when something bad is about to happen. With swift wings, death will swoop down on any who touches the grave of pharoh. Enchala you two, that basically means good Friggen luck," he said and walked out.

"Can you believe those two," he said looking at Fujiko.

"Some people are just superstitious that way," Fujiko told him.

"With swift and balancing wings," Lupin started leaning towards Fujiko. "He swoops down and. . ."

"Doesn't score," he said with a groan when Fujiko got up and walked out.

(Downstairs in the lobby)

"Can you believe Fujiko hanging on his every word," Goemon asked him.

"Goemon you have to get used to it, she wants to be with him," Jigen told him.

"Then why did she kiss me," he asked him.

"To make you feel better," Jigen suggested.

"I don't think that was it," Goemon said looking off in the distance.

"I don't know man, but ever since we left India she has been practically eating out of his palm, there's no way you can stop it, the only way she'll learn is if he breaks her heart," Jigen told him.

"He more than likely will, and I don't want to be the one to help her pick up the pieces, I wouldn't be able to stand her being so hurt," Goemon said sighing.

"Well, how about this pharoh mask plan of his, what do you think of that," Jigen asked him.

"It's the dumbest plan I have ever heard," Goemon told him.

"Something bad is going to happen I know it," Jigen said.

"You too," Goemon asked him.

"Yeah, and I'm going to love looking at Lupin and have a big I told you so," Jigen said with a grin.

"Well you can gloat while I just shake my head and look at them like their fools," Goemon told him.

"Sounds like you," Jigen said.

(Later At The Museum)

Lupin slipped through a hole in the roof and slid down a rope to the case that held the mask. He tied a bunch of balloons to the mask and it floated up to the helicopter that Fujiko was flying; she tried to fly off without Lupin but didn't succeed.

"God job hun," he told her.

"You too," she said kissing him before flying off.

(An Airport in Israel)

Zenigata was sitting in a chair next to his partner Lorraine when a news broadcast came on TV. He took one look at the screen before he got mad.

"Damn Lupin took us in a circle, took us threw Israel that way we loose his train," he said looking at Lorraine.

"Tried to tell you," she said calmly flipping through the book she was reading.

"I'll be back," he told her walking over to the reception desk.

Lorraine put her book away and watched. This had to be good. She had long since learned that when it came to Lupin Zenigata didn't think straight. He was an extremely kind man when he was away from work, but then again that was rarely ever. A few times when she looked at him she would notice that he had a wedding ring on, but she never asked what it was about. More than likely he was so anxious to get Lupin in jail so he could be home with a wife. She could understand that though, she wanted Lupin in jail just as bad, so she could be at home with her son. Caleb was the best thing that ever happened to her and she hasn't seen him in almost a year. It tore her apart in side.

Lorraine was awakened from her thoughts when she saw Zenigata being escorted from the premises. She sighed and picked up hers and his belongings. So much for flying to get the baboon in jail, she thought as she walked out. She would more than likely have to bail her partner out of jail.

(Meanwhile at the hotel)

"We did it," Fujiko gushed as she filled her wine glass up.

"Of course we did," Lupin replied.

"To the emperor of thieves," she said clicking her glass to hers.

"And his empress," he told her doing the same.

"Can you believe that," Jigen said shaking his head.

"Actually I can," Goemon replied.

"You know, looking at that mask brings out the concubine in me," Fujiko said suddenly staring at the mask.

"Oh really," Lupin said cheekily and put on the mask.

After a few seconds of him dancing he suddenly started acting weird.

"Hey man, thanks for the great music," he said from under the mask.

"What music," Jigen asked, eyes going wide.

After a few minutes of dealing with his stupidity Goemon got tired of it and hit Lupin upside the head with his sword.

"He'll be fine-ish," Goemon told them.

They took the mask off Lupin and were surprised at what they saw.

"He's been possessed by the mask of Pharoh," Jigen said shaking his head.

"What are we going to do," Fujiko asked them tearfully.

"We'll figure that out," Jigen said, he picked Lupin up and carried him in the next room laying him down.

"The Pharoh's curse is real," Goemon told Fujiko looking at her.

"Over the years twenty people have fallen dead and they only had one thing in common. The Tut research," Jigen said.

"That's just a bunch of ghost stories," Fujiko tried to say, but she was clearly scared.

"Do you think Lupin would say that now," Jigen asked her.

"No," she said softly.

"You need to return the mask," Goemon told her.

"I can't," she said.

"Fine, let Lupin die," Jigen said and they hear a crash from the next room. They walk in to see Lupin missing from his bed.

The next day Lupin appeared at the top of the Great Pyramid of Egypt. He had the mask on his head and he was staring down at the crowd. Goemon and Jigen were standing there in shock when they saw him at the top of the pyramid. Fujiko was no where to be seen.

"People, your king has returned after three thousand years," Lupin yelled to the crowd.

The crowd looked amazed when a jeep suddenly pulled up. Zenigata walked up to the pyramid with a loud speaker in his hand.

"Lupin, give it up, you're caught," he said through the loud speaker.

Lupin didn't hear him though and he tossed the loud speaker to Lorraine who just shook her head as he climbed up the pyramid. She knew that somehow, this would end in Lupin's favor. Just like it always does.

When Zenigata got halfway up the pyramid Lupin suddenly started floating in the air.

Zenigata leaned back to watch him and wound up falling down the pyramid to land on his face which caused Lorraine to laugh cause his pants were torn and showed off his but. Lupin on the other hand, flew through the cloud only to be revealed as him being tied to a jeep that Fujiko was driving. Goemon and Zenigata hurried up and got in the jeep too.

(Later on in a boat on the nile)

Fujiko walks on to the deck and looks at Jigen and Goemon)

"Listen you guys, I'm sorry for the way I acted. Lupin is in trouble and we need to help him, he fell asleep in my arms like a baby. So I'm giving you this, you need to return it," she told them handing him the mask.

Jigen took it and walked below deck to get their things.

"You okay Fujiko," Goemon asked her.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," she said.

"We'll find a way to help him you know," Goemon said putting his hand on her cheek.

"I know you will," she said giving him a teary smile.

"Hey, don't cry," he told her taking her in his arms.

"I can't help it, if I hadn't been so selfish and returned it last night, we'd be fine," she said hugging him back and crying.

Goemon stood there for a few minutes holding Fujiko in his arms before stepping back.

"We'll be back in the morning," he told her when Jigen got back on the deck.

"Yeah, bye you guys," she told him.

Goemon and Jigen got in a boat and rode off.

"You okay Goemon," Jigen asked him.

"She's really in love with him isn't she," he asked him.

"I don't know, I don't think she knows anymore," Jigen told him.

"Come on, let's save his life so she can figure it out," Goemon told him.

"Fine by me," Jigen said.

Fujiko stood on the deck of the boat until Goemon's disappeared, she then drove the boat she was on to dry land and checked herself and Lupin into a hotel. She laid Lupin down in a bed in their room before walking downstairs looking for a pharmacy. That's when Zenigata and Lorraine found her. She stood between them trying to think of what to do when she realized that Lupin was still in danger.

"Where is he Fujiko," Zenigata asked her.

"He's upstairs sick," she told him.

"Right," Lorraine said and walked up the stairs.

"No, he isn't in his right mind, he might hurt you," Fujiko said running up after her.

When they got to the room however, Lupin was no where to be seen.

"I knew it, you were just passing time," Zenigata said.

"I was not, look, blood on the cuffs, you know as well as I do, that if Lupin were in his right mind, he would have gotten out of this real quick," she said.

"She's telling the truth," Zenigata said looking at Lorraine.

"I know and that's what's bugging the hell out of me, a Lupin in his right mind is bad enough but one not is too much to think about, I just wish we knew where he was going," Lorraine replied.

"He must have gone to the valley of the kings." Fujiko whispered under her breath.

"Thanks Fujiko," Zenigata said, running out with Lorraine.

When Fujiko realized what she did, she hurried out too, she didn't feel like being the reason Lupin was arrested.

(The next morning Jigen and Goemon stood outside the museum talking about getting the job done)

"Come on, let's get back, I'm sure Fujiko will be happy to know we saved her boy toy," Jigen said walking down the street.

"Hey sunrise," Goemon said, he pulled out his sword and let a smile grace his features.

"The shadow of death is gone," he told Jigen.

"Good, now let's go, I'm hungry," Jigen grumbled.

(Valley of the Kings)

"Fujicakes wake up," Lupin said shaking Fujiko who was asleep on a camel.

"Lupin, you're okay," she said happily.

"Of course, and pops is inside that cave with a blond looking for me," Lupin said.

(Inside the cave)

"Lupin, where are you," Zenigata yelled.

"He's not going to answer you," Lorraine muttered.

"He does not in his right mind remember, just might," Zenigata fired back.

"I doubt it," Lorraine told him.

It was about that time a rock fell down and knocked Zenigata out. Lorraine sighed and looked him over and woke him up, so that way she knew he didn't have a concussion.

(Back out side)

"Come on Princess," Lupin said grabbing the reins on the camel and leading Fujiko off into the sunset.

After a few minutes of walking he looked at her.

"Well?" he asked.

"No you didn't bring out the concubine in me," she said with a sigh. "You should have seen yourself you were goofy."

"DAMN!" he yelled.

(End Of Chapter)

Well that's it. Sorry it took so long to update, I just am not a big fan of this episode; although I love the ending. Also, I had to find a way to remember what happened and friend of mine watched it and took notes for me. She has the episode on tape. I know I changed a lot of the episode and shortened it, and I'm sorry but it fits the chapter better.

Fox Xantos, thanks for the review. I'm sorry it took so long.

Psycho-Katrina15, thanks, even if you didn't review it. I know you liked it. And thanks for helping me by telling me what happened in the episode.

Thanks,

LunasStar


	8. This I Promise You

Are You Ready For Love

Author's Note: Here comes the eighth chapter.

Disclaimer: Do you think a fifteen year old girl would own a anime show this good.

Chapter Title: This I promise you.

Chapter Summary: The Disorient Express, what happens during that episode.

_And I will take  
You in my arms  
And hold you right where you belong  
Till the day my life is through  
This I promise you  
This I promise you_

This I Promise You, NSYNC

(One with the Story)

Lupin and Fujiko were sitting in Venice's town square at a table. Fujiko was reading the newspaper and Lupin was, of course, trying to get her to the nearest bedroom with the usual results.

"This is so nice, I could sit here all day," Fujiko said with a sigh.

"You know what Italy is famous for," he asked her.

"Fancy music," Fujiko said.

"Casanova, the worlds most famous lover," he said.

"How will Lupin see the signal if he can't take his eyes off friggen Fujiko," Jigen said from the top of a church tower.

"He's was the Santa Clause of sex, known for his big bag of tricks," Lupin was saying.

"Someone get me a friggen house," Jigen muttered on the tower.

"Here he comes," Goemon said looking at a boat on the other side.

"I have a rather sizable bag of tricks my self, why don't you reach in and pull a trick out of my own bag, come on, grab something," he said leaning forward.

"That's the signal," Fujiko said getting up.

Lupin fell over from trying to lean in Fujiko's lap as soon as she stood up.

(Later On At Hotel in Venice Italy)

"The Trans-European Super Express shuttles between Paris and Venice. This is how Don Martino plans to get his stuff out of the country.Under the guise of transporting, St. Junior to France for the Arch De Trio Trophy, quite ingenious really," Lupin said.

"He's a sucker for jewels and fine art, especially other peoples jewels and fine art," Fujiko said. "If you catch my drift."

"You lost me there. I don't get why he's gotta ship it all the way to France in the first place," Jigen said confused.

"Quite simple really, Italian police may be many things but they are not morons. They know there's more to Martino than meets the eye. They're getting their ducks in a row," Lupin explained.

" Of course, so he's under pressure to hustle it all out of the country and convert anything questionable into cold hard untraceable cash before the police swoop down," Jigen said catching on.

"Simple and efficient," Lupin replied.

"It's a public conveyance and who knows what kind of shady characters will be on board," Fujiko said.

"Ooh baby, I love it when you talk like that," Lupin said for absolutely no reason.

"Hey Lupin, how's your half gainer these days," Goemon suddenly said.

Lupin ran to the window and looked out of it, a look of disbelief crossed his features.

"What! Zenigata? And somehow I take it he's not here on his honeymoon. By the way that blonde is looking at him I don't think they're married. Good work G-man and now that we've got our assignments, let's go!" Lupin told them all.

The gang gathered their things and jumped out the window onto the window sill and made their way to the car. About two minutes later Zenigata and Lorraine burst into the room. Zenigata ran to the table and looked at the map on it.

"Yes, finally found out where their going," Zenigata said.

"Where," Lorraine asked him.

"Ready to go for a train ride," he said with a smile. "Their getting on a train for France."

"I'm game if you are," Lorraine said walking out.

"Let's go," Zenigata said and they got back in the car for the train station.

(At The Train Station)

"Apparently having his own car makes him seem less vulnerable but it sure as hell doesn't make Fujiko less vulnerable," Goemon said.

"Not such a bad idea. Problem is he's not exactly dealing with amateurs. The thing about Lupin is that he can turn your biggest strength into your biggest stumbling block," Jigen said.

"I know, like with Fujiko," Goemon said.

"Goemon, just give up on her, she's with Lupin," Jigen said annoyed.

"I know and it's about time I give up on her," Goemon sighed.

"Okay the train is starting to pull away, let's get moving," Jigen announced and they walked towards a truck.

(Train)

"Like hey train dude, wait up," Lupin yelled wearing a hippie uniform.

Lupin walked into a compartment on the train and found Zenigata sitting there with Lorraine and her nose buried in a book. He ran to the next compartment and walked in on Fujiko who threw a shoe at him. Zenigata heard her scream and walked in to see what was wrong and got a shoe thrown at him also. Lorraine walked out to see him laying there with a high heel shaped red mark on his face and laughed.

(Truck)

"Jigen, can you see with your hat like that?" Goemon asked him.

"Guess we'll find out," Jigen said driving forward.

"Jigen, you must have left the map on the table, because pops and his partner is here and they have it," Lupin said.

"No way, I would never make a rookie mistake like that," Jigen said.

"There is a simple way to resolve this," Goemon told them.

"Yeah it's right...where the hell is it? Aww man!" Jigen said checking his pockets.

"Thankfully we're in disguise and Zenigata doesn't know a thing about Don Martino," Lupin said assuredly.

Meanwhile Zenigata stares at the map contemplating.

Lupin walked onto the dinning cart on the train to see Fujiko sitting at a table eating.

"That hurt earlier," Lupin said sitting down.

"That'll teach you that when I'm playing a role watch out," Fujiko told him.

"I guess I'll have to come up with some more stimulating roles for you then," Lupin told her with a grin.

"If my roles were any more stimulating you'd explode," Fujiko said.

They talked about Don Martino until Zenigata walked up. He talked to Fujiko until she accidentally kicked him in the shin aiming for Lupin. He walked her to her door and then walked into his.

"You okay, you're limping," Lorraine said.

"Yeah, I just got kicked in the shin," he told her.

"Oh, okay," she said brightly returning to her book. She didn't have to tell him she wasn't really worried, because they hated each others guts. She knew if he caught Lupin she could go home, and she was mad that he hadn't so far. And he didn't like her because Interpol wants her to take his job because he hasn't caught Lupin yet and he's been after him for five years.

Later Fujiko walked down the hall to Don Martino's car and knocked on the door.

"Hello," said a man at the door.

"I'm here to see Don Martino," she said and they let her in.

"So you say we met at the party in Rome," he asked her after a few minutes.

"Oh, you've already forgotten me? You must flirt with a lot of women. I'm very jealous," Fujiko said with a wink.

"Don't be that way, let's toast to new beginnings," Don Martino said.

"Sounds great, hey I heard you have St Jr on board, that horse has made me more money than my last divorce. I would love to meet him and thank him personally…," she said walking to the back door.

The man at the door tried to stop her but she wasn't listening and he hit her across the cheek. Fujiko fell to the floor and the man leans over her.

"You should have kept your mouth shut, Don Martino don't go to those parties anymore. Now Don Martino ain't going to be the only one who can't recognize your face," the man said.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door and Zenigata walks in.

"Sir, I am Inspector Zenigata from Interpol and we have news that there is thief on board and we were just checking all the rooms," he said.

"Surely you don't think any of us are the thieves," Don Martino said.

"No of course not, you okay ma'am," he said seeing Fujiko on the floor.

"Yeah, I was just checking out his carpet I just can't resist a good shag," she told him walking out with him.

"Are you really an inspector, because that's really exciting," she told him going down the hall.

"You think so," he said turning and pulling of a mask to reveal it was Lupin.

"Thank you, I'm sure if you hadn't shown up I was a goner," she told him.

"Guess I'm a hero now, so what'd you find out," he asked her.

"I'm sure they have everything in the back car with the horse," she told him.

"Good job, now you'd better lie low," he told her.

Zenigata walked up after that and chased Lupin into a corner with Lorraine behind him. When he thought he had Lupin cornered he ran forward, Lupin jumped to the side and Zenigata and Lorraine fall off the train into a field.

(Meanwhile)

"They should be entering the tunnel by now," Jigen said.

He pressed a button and the truck lost it's wheels and got the metal wheels a train has and drove it down the train track.

Lupin and Fujiko got on top of the train and disconnected it. Fujiko got off and got inside the truck with Jigen and Goemon.

Jigen and Goemon back up and connect to the train to pull it away while Lupin sneaks into the car St Junior, the white horse Don Martino had on the train, was in.

"I was always a sucker for the pitter patter of little feet," Lupin said as they ran around on the train.

Don Martino ruined their plans by pulling the break.

Goemon jumped out of the truck and disconnect the two rail cars so that way they only had to deal with the on Don Martino was in. While the train was burning they decide to meet Lupin at the bridge. They all thought it was crazy but Lupin insisted. When they got there they had to throw TNT at the train and didn't have time to let it burn. So Goemon threw the TNT in the air and Jigen shot it. They tried to help Don Martino but he insisted his jewels would protect him. Lupin took a few jewels and jumped to safety on St. Junior.

"I believe you have something for us Lupin," Fujiko said expectantly.

"Here you go," he told her handing her a bag.

"That's it," she asked him shocked.

"Don't worry, I know how to make it up to you," he told her.

"Fujiko," Goemon said suddenly.

"Yeah," she said looking at him.

"Where'd you get that bruise," he said looking at her cheek closely running his thumb across it.

"Don Martino's henchmen figured me out," she said shrugging and they all got into the truck; though Goemon was glaring the whole way angry about Fujiko getting hit.

Lupin tried to make up for the money by running in a race but Zenigata showed up and turned it into a steeple chase.

"Somebody shoot me," Fujiko said when he sped off with Zenigata following, ripping up her ticket.

"That can be arranged," Jigen told her.

"Cut it out you two, come on, we need to help Lupin," Goemon said walking off.

They all ran after Lupin and Zenigata.

Well, that's it for chapter eight. What do you think? Psycho- Katrina15, thanks for reviewing and the help. And thanks for telling me to update. Fox Xantos, thanks for sticking in there. It means a lot. Sorry it took so long on the last one, I had to get the episode information and I needed to find a title. That always gets me. Hope you liked this one, and thanks.

All you readers out there that like this story, if you like Harry Potter please check out my Harry Potter stories. Night ya'all.

LunasStar


	9. I Need You Tonight

Are You Ready For Love

Disclaimer: Not Mine

Author's Note: I just realized that I have only like four or five more chapters to go on this story before the sequel. Wow. Oh and this chapter should have been Now Museum and Now You Don't if I was following the story right, but I just don't feel like that one is important to the plot. Sorry if I offended any fans of that episode.

Chapter Title: I Need You Tonight

Chapter Summary: Zenigata-Con.

_And I need you tonight  
I need you right now  
I know deep within my heart  
It doesn't matter if it's wrong or right  
I really need you tonight_

I Need You Tonight, Backstreet Boys

(On With The Chapter)

Fujiko was sitting in her room thinking. She had just spent the last two weeks ignoring Goemon because she didn't want to admit that she enjoyed the kiss that they had shared. It had made her feel special; she knew Goemon didn't just go around kissing girls like Lupin did. She didn't want to admit that she wanted to know how it felt to be kissed by Goemon Ishikawa again.

If she admitted that she would have to admit that she preferred him over Lupin which she didn't know if she did. She was in love with Lupin, but for some reason she couldn't stop thinking about Goemon. These feelings were way to complicated for her. Goemon was her best friend; she wasn't supposed to want to be with her best friend. Was She?

She also wanted to know what spurred the kiss on by Goemon. Was it the fact that she was so close to death that he wanted to kiss her, or was it something else? She remembered one thing about when they were sixteen that she pretended not to remember. It was a month after the night Goemon found out about what her dad did.

She had a scare that day to where she thought she was pregnant, and people spread it around that it was Goemon's kid. So when she got home her dad went off on her for being pregnant with "That Samurai's kid," as he put it. She wouldn't put up with him accusing Goemon of that so she fought back and got hit for it. She ran to Goemon's and he let her spend the night with him. It was nothing new; she stayed at his house all the time.

But when they were asleep they somehow wound up kissing each other. She woke up to the feeling of Goemon wrapping his arms around her waist pulling her closer and kissing her. She played it off that she was still asleep, but she knew he wasn't. When he realized what he was doing he stood up and went downstairs. She waited a few minutes then got up and walked down the hall to see him coming towards her. She pretended nothing happened and they went to bed. But she still carries the memory of that kiss in her head.

Goemon had been willing to claim the kid she was afraid she would have as his own. Luckily it was a false alarm and she was able to carry on life as normal as hers got.

That's when Lupin barged into her room; he was holding an envelope in his hand and grinning from ear to ear.

"What are you so happy about," she asked him raising an eyebrow.

"Remember that millionaire you are so found of, Mr. Marcel I think his name is," Lupin asked her.

"Yeah?"

"We've been invited to his party," he told her.

"Are you serious," she asked him.

"Yes I am," he told her. "So are you going to thank me now our later, because I was really hoping for now."

"This is so great, I can't believe it, the guy is absolutely amazing," Fujiko said staring at the invitation.

"And once again, I am ignored," Lupin muttered to himself.

(In another room)

"I thought you said you gave up on her," Jigen asked Goemon.

"I have," Goemon replied.

"Then why are you closed up in your room thinking about her," Jigen asked.

"Because I can't help it, trust me, I will get over her, I just need time Jigen," he said.

"What for," Jigen asked.

"Because for the better part of my life she has been my best friend, since I was twelve I haven't spent a single day out of her sight, and I have been in love with her since I was twelve," Goemon told him.

"Poor you," Jigen muttered. "I seriously don't see why you waste your time on a girl who barely spares you the time of day anymore."

"I am not wasting my time, anyways, pops is looking for us, better if we stay inside and avoid sight," he said.

"True, but come on, at least down to dinner, we all have some big surprise Lupin wants to tell us," Jigen muttered.

"Great," Goemon muttered.

"I know how you feel, but I am not missing a good dinner," Jigen said with a grin.

"Always thinking with your stomach," Goemon chuckled.

"I am a man," Jigen replied.

"Right," Goemon said standing up. "Come on, let's get out of here."

"Alright," Jigen replied and they walked out of the hotel room.

(Later on that day)

"Come on Fujiko, we're going to be late," Lupin said.

"Haven't you heard of being fashionably late," she asked him.

"I have, and I don't care to be," Lupin told her.

"Alright," she sighed and walked out with him.

Jigen and Goemon were downstairs when they left. Apparently Jigen had talked him into actually going somewhere which was new to the samurai he was used to staying in all the time.

"Do you think they'll have fun?" Jigen asked him.

"Nope, she has a thing for the Millionaire guy," Goemon told him.

"The one that's throwing the party," Jigen asked.

"Yep," Goemon replied.

"This ought to be good," Jigen said chuckling.

"It should shouldn't it," Goemon replied.

"So, you want to wait it out and see what happens," Jigen asked. "I mean I wouldn't mind finding out what happens."

"Yeah, it's like a train wreck, you want to turn around but you can't," Goemon told him.

"That it is," Jigen replied.

(Later On At The Party)

"I can't help it, I'm under a spell," Fujiko said dreamily walking up the stairs.

"Under a spell, oh great," Lupin whined.

They walked up the stairs to a room in the house that belonged to Mr. Marcel. When they got in there Fujiko started searching for anything on Marcel when a gas started shooting out from the walls.

"Fujicakes," Lupin exclaimed when he saw her faint.

It wasn't long after that he passed out from the gas also. When Lupin opened his eyes he saw Fujiko still out beside him.

"Fujiko, wake up," he whispered.

"Hmm," she said opening her eyes.

"I got good news, and I got bad news," he told her.

"What's the good news," she asked.

"I don't think we're in hell," he told her.

"Not a far cry off though," she muttered. "What's the bad news?'

"The bad news is that's just about it for the good news," he said.

"Well, well, well, I see you have awakened," said an annoying voice from the doorway.

(Back At The Hotel)

"How long till you think he gets tired of Fujiko drooling over Marcel and comes back," Goemon asked.

"I dunno, he puts up with a lot from her, makes me wonder why you're both in love with her," Jigen said. "I personally would have dumped her long ago if she treated me like she does him."

"There is nothing wrong with how Fujiko treats people," Goemon said, and then receiving a look from Jigen conceded. "Ok, maybe she has gotten a little disrespectful, but hey, makes for life being interesting doesn't it?"

"And makes it a living hell sometimes," Jigen told him.

"Nothing wrong with it," Goemon said.

"You're never going to get over her are you," Jigen asked.

"Yeah I am, right now I'm speaking as a friend, she's always been like that," Goemon told him.

"She has, how did you put up with it?" Jigen asked interested now.

"Ignore her," Goemon replied.

"Sounds like a good plan," Jigen replied.

"It used to be," Goemon told him.

"What happened to it," Jigen asked.

"Fell in love," Goemon replied.

"Oh," Jigen replied.

"You guys," said a voice from the doorway. "I need you're help."

Goemon and Jigen looked up to see Lupin standing in the doorway as if hell was following him.

"What happened," Goemon asked him.

"Fujiko's been taken hostage," Lupin gasped.

"What?" Goemon practically yelled jumping up only to be pulled back down by Jigen.

"Yeah, Marcel has her chained up saying if I don't get a file from Scotland Yard, she's dead, along with me, I have a bomb strapped to me," Lupin said.

"How'd you get into the predicament," Goemon asked.

"Fujiko got us in it, she wanted to find out more about Marcel and went up to one of his rooms and got us drugged," Lupin told him.

"But isn't it true that if you hadn't been trying to impress friggen Fujiko you wouldn't have gone anyway," Jigen said. "You're like a friggen teenager."

"You're right, I was thinking with my friggen pants, you guys going to help me or not," he asked them.

"No, you're like a kid Lupin, you have to grow up," Jigen said, and Goemon and him walked out.

"I am not, you guys suck, I don't need you," Lupin said crossing his arms. "Why is everyone being mean to me?"

(Down In The Lobby)

"Do you think we were too tough on him in there," Goemon asked.

"Nah, he needs to learn that other people are affected by his actions, especially when they are on the brink of death," Jigen told him.

"Are we going to help him anyway," Goemon asked.

"Of course, but we're going to wait until he thinks we're not," Jigen told him.

"Alright," Goemon replied.

(Later At Scotland Yard)

Lupin walked in pulling at his overcoat. He hated this particular costume but if he was to sneak into Scotland Yard he had to look like a detective and what better detective than Zenigata. The chief looked up at him and started a conversation until the door opened.

"Excuse me sir, but there's another Inspector Zenigata here to see you," he said and Zenigata walked in the door.

"Ha, thought you were slick dressing up like me didn't you, didn't realize I would be here did you Lupin," Zenigata said.

This continued on the same vein until two more Inspector Zenigatas walked in. Lupin could have jumped for joy, Jigen and Goemon came through for him. He was in shock when the chief had them all lined up and was pacing back and fourth between them.

"Mister Zenigata?" he said.

"Yes," they all said.

The chief groaned and went back to pacing.

"That's enough of this," said one of the Zenigatas and pulled one by the arm walking out with another.

They were both pulling off their masks as they left.

"Come on Lupin," said one.

"You hear that, they called him Lupin," Lupin shouted. "Arrest him."

"Yes, arrest him," said the chief.

"What are you talking about I'm Inspector Zenigata," shouted Zenigata as they drug him out.

The cops cuffed Jigen, Goemon, and Zenigata and drug them to a cell.

Lupin made his way to the records room and picked the lock.

"Souta, what are you doing in here," said a voice softly behind him.

**_No way, Lupin thought, there's only one reason a woman would use that voice._**

Lupin turned around to see the blond they saw with Zenigata while in Italy standing in the door way in hip huggers and a tight sweater. Lupin practically drooled at the picture. He quickly glanced at her tag that way he knew her name.

**_"Lorraine Adams," it read._**

"I told you to wait for me at the hotel," she said walking forward.

Lorraine couldn't believe she was doing this. She had heard the argument going on in the hallway about the other Zenigatas. She was going to make sure this was Souta and the only way for her to do that is to lie and see if he agrees.

Lupin took a deep breath and she made her way to him.

"Don't you remember me telling you that," she said stopping not even an inch from his face.

Oh god, this woman has a thing for pops, Lupin thought; this wasn't in the Job description; just agree and kiss her and everything will be fine.

"Of course I do baby, I was just getting something so we have a longer time together," he said and leaned forward and kissed her.

**SMACK!**

Lupin was shocked when he felt the hand land across his face.

"Alright you baboon, you're under arrest," he heard before he had a chance to look up.

**_Damn, it was a trick, he thought._**

Lorraine could barely keep her lunch down. To think, that disgusting baboon had kissed her. **_Oh well, all in a days work, she thought grimly._**

"You can't arrest me," he told her.

"And why the hell not," she asked reaching for her cuffs.

"Because you don't have an arrest warrant, you're only Zenigata's partner, he has to arrest me," Lupin told her.

Dammit, Lorraine thought. He was right, her legal jurisdictions go only to helping Zenigata track the master mind down. One day, she vowed, this man would go down.

Lupin ran from the room before she thought of a way out of the predicament and got Jigen and Goemon out of the jail, leaving Zenigata safely behind bars of course.

It wasn't until they got to the airport that they realized they were being followed.

"I got a pair of pretty bracelets with your name on them Lupin," Zenigata yelled jumping out of the car.

"How the hell did he get out," Jigen asked.

"The blonde, she found out I wasn't Zenigata, she must have got him out," Lupin replied.

"How'd she find out who you are," Jigen asked leading them to a helicopter.

"She tricked me into thinking her and Zenigata were dating and waited for me to fall for it," Lupin said.

"Smart woman," Goemon replied.

After a few minutes of air travel they realized Zenigata was following them in a helicopter of his own.

"Pull this thing over," Zenigata said on intercom.

"Why don't you role me in the clover, over," Lupin replied.

"You're going to HELL, over," Zenigata yelled.

"Souta, calm down, what's wrong," Lorraine asked from her seat.

"I hate this guy," he replied.

"Well we know this, but you also respect him, and we're about to crash so don't let you're emotions get the better of you," she told him.

"Right," he replied and started to pay more attention to where he was going.

It was then that Goemon got on top of Jigen's helicopter and stared at Zenigata and Lorraine.

"This isn't going to be good," Zenigata warned Lorraine.

"What do you mean," she asked, but when quiet when she saw him take out his sword.

When they got close enough, he swung out and slide right through the metal. Zenigata got up and pushed Lorraine out of the way to make sure she didn't get cut. Too late though, he had cut the wing of the Helicopter and it was going to crash.

The helicopter landed in a field a few miles away and they had to hurry up and get out before it blew up.

"Thanks, you saved my skin back there," Lorraine told him.

"Don't mention it," Zenigata told her.

"Why do we hate each other," she asked him.

"I wasn't aware that we did," he said looking at her confused.

"Well, you never say more than two words to me on a regular basis, and well sometimes I can't stand to be around you," she admitted.

"Really, well I don't talk much because I'm used to being on my own chasing him, I've been at it for five years," Zenigata told her.

"Doesn't you're wife mind," Lorraine asked.

"Wife? Who said I have a wife," Zenigata asked, clearly not having any clue as to what she meant.

"But the ring," she said confused.

"This ring," he asked pointing to it.

"Yeah," she nodded.

"This is a ring from a marriage that has been over for almost five years, I had a wife, but yeah she minded me being gone so much and it ruined our marriage," he told her.

"No wonder you hate the guy, he ruined you're life, well your job did," she said.

"What about you, what makes you want him gone so much," Zenigata asked her.

"I have a son waiting for me back home, being a single mom and not being around you're kid is really hard to deal with," she told him.

"How old is your son," he asked her.

"Two years old," she told him.

"Really, I have a daughter like two years older than him, almost three," Zenigata told her.

"What's her name," Lorraine asked interested.

"Aria," he replied.

"That's a pretty name," she replied.

"Yeah, what's your son's name," he asked her.

"Caleb," she replied. "Common, but I like the name."

"Well, glad to get to know more about you, but we have to get somewhere, we can't stay out in this field forever," he told her.

"True, come on," she said and they walked towards the nearest town, at least what they hoped was the nearest town.

Lorraine was in shock, she had never guessed he had a family. He had a daughter he probably didn't know too well because he boss wanted him to spend all his time chasing Lupin around. That was bull crap and she knew it, it was killing her to be away from her son for a few months. She had no idea how she would react if she had to stay away from her son for five years. She only hoped that Souta could see his daughter soon. She would try and make it to where he could.

(Meanwhile on the street)

"Summer's here, and time for racing in the streets," Lupin said as he drove a car he stole through a bunch of cops.

"So the bomb explodes if I do this," Goemon said poking it with his sword.

"Stop," Lupin replied but froze as it turned red.

"Umm that's not good is it?" Jigen asked him.

"You guys, you should run for it," Lupin told them.

"No," Jigen and Goemon said together

"I just don't get it, you guys said you didn't want to come and now I can't get rid of you," Lupin said.

"That was the request of a boy, this is the request of a man," Goemon replied. "It was once written that the way of the samurai is in death."

"I can't think of anyone else I would rather die with," Jigen told him.

"Thanks guys," Lupin said.

Lupin pressed the gas harder as they approached the gate to the house.

"Who wants chicken nuggets," he yelled.

Fujiko looked up in shock as the car crashed through the wall. She smiled when she saw Goemon jumped out and pull out his sword. She wasn't as happy when her bonds where cut and she fell on the floor.

"Couldn't you cushion the fall a bit," she asked him as they ran out.

"Sorry," he told her.

Not even five seconds after they left the house it blew up.

"I don't get it, what happened to the bomb," she asked Lupin.

"I slipped it off in the car," he told her.

Fujiko and the others walked off after seeing what Marcel really looked like. He looked like a bug in Fujiko's opinion. Goemon looked at Fujiko and gave her a smirk knowing what she was thinking.

"The mask had to have been bewitched," she muttered as they left.

They were all standing at the balcony of Lupin's room when Jigen handed out a note.

"Lupin this invitation came for you," he told him.

"What invitation," Lupin asked ripping the paper up.

"That was from the queen asking you to have tea with her," Jigen said.

"Oh man, I could have been knighted, hey it could happen," Lupin said glaring at their faces.

The others walked out leaving Lupin to his moping, and Goemon walked Fujiko to her door.

"Night Fujiko," he told her.

"Goemon, thanks for saving me today, I mean you always happen to be there when I need you and I want you to know it means a lot to me," she told him.

"I know Fujiko, as I told Jigen, you're my best friend, and I will always be there for you," he told her.

"You will be won't you," she asked looking into his eyes.

"Yes," Goemon replied looking her in the eyes.

It was like time had stopped for the both of them. Standing there looking in her eyes, Goemon wasn't able to deny the fact that he was still very much in love with Fujiko. No matter how many times he said he was giving up on her. His heart never truly will, and almost losing her tonight didn't help matters much anymore either.

He leaned down and kissed her for the second time. This time she when she kissed him back, it didn't stop at a single kiss. He felt her reach back and open the door to her bedroom, and him, knowing where this was going to lead didn't try to stop her. In fact he picked her up and carried her into her room closing the door behind him.

(End Of Chapter)

Well there you go, Chapter Numero Nuevo, (Number Nine). I hope you guys liked it. And I'll tell you this now. For those of you who didn't get the last few paragraphs. That was just an edited way of saying that Goemon and Fujiko were going to have sex. Sorry to put it so bluntly here, but I hope you like the chapter.

Thanks to all my reviewers. You know who you are, but I'll say it anyway.

Whitesepulchre- Thanks for you're review. I would read one of your stories and review, but well, you didn't leave your pen name if you have one so I couldn't.

Psycho-Katrina15- Of course, thank you. And hey, don't worry about the notes. Got the chapter out didn't I. I even got this one done without notes. The next one is going to be a chore though. Like always.

Fox Xanatos- Thank you for you're review. I know you told me that the one in New York was the next episode, but you see, it didn't fit into the plot at all and I wanted to get this story on the ball. I always knew what would happen between Fujiko and Goemon in France. This chapter by the way. I had always planned that they would sleep together in this chapter. Sorry if that isn't you're cup of tea bye the way. But hey, it's human and it's going to happen, at least I didn't go into detail. I hope you liked this chapter.


	10. Are You Ready For Love

Are You Ready For Love

Disclaimer: Take a deep breath just because Lupin the third doesn't belong to you, doesn't mean you have to do anything drastic. (Hides plans to take of Pioneer Entertainment) Oh Alex, a character in this chapter and her father belong to my friend Psycho-Katrina15, oh her mom also, but you don't meet her, you read about her.

Author's Note: Well here's the next chapter.

Chapter Title: Are You Ready For Love

Chapter Summary: Who's Vroomin' Who? Jigen gets a girl I should say that also.

_Are you ready, are you ready for love  
Yes I am  
Are you, are you ready, are you ready for love  
Yes I am  
Are you, are you ready, are you ready for love_

Are You Ready For Love, Elton John

(On With The Story)

Goemon was sitting on the bleachers next to Jigen as he timed Lupin's racing. They had been in Monaco for almost two days and all Lupin was interested in doing was racing. Then again, with Fujiko gone, that was all he could do. They hadn't heard from Fujiko since that night in France. She had left early the next morning without saying a word to anyone.

Goemon still didn't know what to think of that night. That night was almost everything he had wished for, he had held Fujiko in his arms as more than a friend, yet he still knew that wasn't enough. He wanted Fujiko to be with him. To be the person he could hold at night, the person who loved him above all. He now knew he would never be able to get over his feelings for her. She was the only person out there for him and it would always be that way.

"What'd you think of that time," Jigen asked him suddenly.

"Huh?" Goemon said pulling himself out of his thoughts.

"You okay Goemon, you look as if you have something on your mind," Jigen said looking at him under the brim of his hat.

"Yeah, but I'm not sure if I want to tell anyone," Goemon told him truthfully.

"What is it," Jigen said, slipping his hat up a bit to look Goemon in the eye.

"I slept with Fujiko a few nights back," Goemon told him after a deep breath.

"You did what!" Jigen asked shocked.

"Yeah, it was the night before she left to god knows where," Goemon told him.

"Oh, did she talk to you afterwards to tell you where you guys stand," Jigen asked.

"Not really, I don't know what she was thinking, we both fell asleep and she left before I woke up," Goemon told him.

"Damn, that's got to suck," Jigen replied.

"It does, trust me, it sucks big time," Goemon muttered.

"Let's hope next time we see her, maybe she'll tell you how she feels about you guys," Jigen said bracingly.

"That's what I'm afraid of, I'm afraid she might regret it, and it might ruin everything we had," Goemon told him.

"Let's hope that doesn't happen," Jigen told him and turned back to the track.

"Hey," Goemon replied. "Didn't we reserve this track?"

"We did why?"

"Then what are they doing there," Goemon asked pointing to a group of people surrounding a racing car.

"No clue," Jigen muttered looking over at the group.

A young woman was climbing out of the car obviously unhappy about something. She had black hair and looked to be no older than twenty. They couldn't tell exactly what she looked like because of the distance, but they could tell that she was an extremely unhappy person.

"She looks like she's about to kill someone," Goemon said.

"Yeah she does," Jigen replied.

"Oh well, come on, I think Lupin's getting tired of us talking and not timing him," Goemon told him.

"Right," Jigen replied turning back to Lupin's car.

Soon after they were timing the race Jigen was sitting in his room thinking. He had a lot on his mind these days. He always did around Christmas time. Usually he thought back to the Delacroix's. Pierre and Letitia Delacroix was the only family he was happy with when he was a child. He lived with them when he was six, and they treated him like he was there own flesh and blood. He lived with them for six months. He started living them with around Christmas time.

He could remember the last day he spent with them like it was yesterday. He actually didn't spend the day with them; he spent it at a day camp. It counted as one of the worse days of his life and it always would.

**_(Flashback)_**

**_A young kid about six years old clung to a man and a woman as they stood in front of a gate leading to a summer camp not wanting to say goodbye._**

**_"Do I have to go," he asked them._**

**_"Of course you do, you asked to go to day camp and we already paid, so you have to go," the man replied._**

**_"But _****_Pierre_****_, if he doesn't want to go he doesn't have to," the woman said looking at his husband._**

**_"Letitia, you are to soft on him, you know he'll ask us later on why we didn't make him stay," _****_Pierre_****_ replied._**

**_"Fine, forget I intervened," she sighed throwing her hands up in defeat, giving the boy a look that clearly stated 'I tried.'_**

**_"Fine I'll go, but I'll miss you guys," he told them._**

**_"Alright then, we love you and we'll see you in a few hours," Letitia told him picking him up._**

**_"I love you too mommy," he told her hugging her._**

**_The woman looked surprised but smiled at her husband anyway, she had been waiting for the day that the little boy would call her mom. _****_Pierre_****_ picked him up next and hugged him._**

**_"Bye Antori," _****_Pierre_****_ told him._**

**_Antori smiled at the man and hugged him back._**

**_"Bye dad, love you," Antori said and jumped down running through the gate._**

**_"Told you he wanted to go, he was just scared of leaving us," _****_Pierre_****_ said putting his arm around his wife._**

**_"I know, I just feel so sorry for the kid, he doesn't know his real name, it was always changed when he was a baby, we only call him Antori because that's what the last family called him, so I try to be easy with him," she told him._**

**_"I know you do, but hey, he loves us and is happy, that's all we can ask for," _****_Pierre_****_ replied leading her to the car._**

**_Antori took a deep breath from his post beside the gate as he heard the car drive off. He didn't know when he would be leaving the home but he wished it was never. He usually never spent this long with a family seeing as they always got tired of his attitude, and he was glad this family seemed to like him. He hoped they kept him._**

**_(End Of Flashback)_**

Pierre and Letitia had always had blacked hair and blue eyes. He could remember them as if he had only seen them yesterday. They had owned a nice home in Louisiana and loved him. They adopted him because Letitia couldn't have children. They were both twenty years old the time. He had been waiting for them to pick him up for an hour when he heard the news. He was sitting on a bench in the office when a camp counselor walked up to him. She told them there was an accident and his mom and dad wouldn't be picking him up, that family service was coming to get him.

He later found out that a eighteen wheeler truck had slid on the road during a storm and crashed into them. Pierre had been killed instantly and Letitia had been paralyzed from the waist down. He was transferred a different family a few days later, but no family had been as good to him as the Delacroix's had been. That's why he chose the name Daisuke when he changed his name. Letitia had learned Japanese when they found out they were adopting a boy who had a Japanese father. She thought he spoke Japanese and loved the word Daisuki, because it meant love. She always told him that was her favorite word.

Jigen sighed and stood up. He needed a drink more than anything right now. He walked down the bar in the hotel and sat down in a stool. He pulled out his lighter and tried to light a cigarette but it wouldn't light.

"Friggen light," he said pulling the cigarette out of his mouth and sat the lighter down on the table.

"You need a lighter," a woman's voice asked from beside him.

"Uh yeah," he replied looking the girl next to him.

It was the girl from the race track. He recognized her right away. He was right about her having black hair. It came down to around her shoulders and she had big blue eyes also.

"Here," she said handing him his lit cigarette.

"Uh thanks," Jigen replied taking it.

"So, you're new around her right, like a tourist?" she asked him. "I don't think I've ever seen you before?"

"My friend is in the race," he explained.

"Oh, well then it's nice to meet you, who ever you are," she said with a small smile.

"Jigen," he said.

"What are you having sir," the bartender suddenly said looking at Jigen.

"Scotch, leave the bottle please," he told the bartender.

"And you ma'am," he said looking at girl.

"I'll have the same," she told him looking at Jigen in surprise.

"Alright," the bartender said walking off.

"So you drink Scotch," she asked him.

"Whenever I'm able yeah," he told her. "So I take it you live around here?"

"Sometimes, I was born and lived the first five years of my life here, just depends on where my dad wants us to live," Alex told him.

Jigen took a good look at her for the first time; he knew he recognized something about her he just couldn't put his finger on it. Then it hit him, he knew where he had seen this woman before, he had seen her on plenty of the covers of Fujiko's magazines.

"Alexandra Marriott right?" he asked her.

"How'd you know?" she asked surprised.

"I know someone who's always reading fashion magazines," he told her.

"Oh, well then, thought I would last an hour in here without someone recognizing me," she said with a small laugh.

"So your in the race right?" he asked her.

"I'm racing for my dad. How'd you know that that I was racing," she asked him.

"I saw you at the track, didn't recognize you until just now though," he said.

"Oh, so your friend, he's car number three huh?" she asked him.

"Yeah," Jigen replied. "He's pretty good, didn't know he was a good racer until he signed up."

"Yeah he's good, fastest I've ever seen," she replied.

"Yeah, but he might let his arrogance get in the way knowing him," Jigen said.

"I hope he does, mean to say to his friend, but I really want to win that race," she said with a smirk. "And where the hell is our drinks, come on bartender while we're young please!"

"Here he comes," Jigen told her.

"Finally," she muttered taking her drink. "Got a question, is Jigen your last name or first name?"

"It's my last name," he told her.

"I swear I've heard that name before, I don't know why, but what's your first name, it might click to where I've heard it," Alex told him confused.

"Uh," Jigen said thinking.

He couldn't giver her his first name, it was all over wanted posters. What the hell was he going to tell her? Then it clicked in his brain.

"Antori, but I go by Jigen," he told her.

"Well I guess I'll have to call you Jigen then, but I kinda like the name Antori," she said.

"Sorry," he said with a small grin.

"Okay, if we're going by nicknames, call me Alex, I hate the name Alexandra," Alex told him.

"Why is that?"

"My mom named me," she muttered.

"I take it that isn't a good thing," he asked her.

"Not if you like my mom," she told him.

"And you don't?"

"Can't stand her," Alex said bluntly.

"Why not," Jigen asked.

"Because for the twenty one years I have been on this earth she has made my life a living hell," Alex told him.

"That's never a good thing," Jigen replied.

"No it's not, but she's not here so I'm good," Alex replied taking a drink of her scotch.

"You here for the race only?" he asked her.

"Yeah, then in two weeks we're going to New York for Christmas," she told him.

Jigen nodded and wondered why he was asking all the personal questions. It wasn't like him to get into the thoughts of people, because thoughts lead to emotions and he wasn't a very emotional person.

"What about you," she asked him.

"I'll probably be leaving right after the race," he told her.

"That's too bad," Alex sighed.

"Really?"

"Yeah, you seem like a nice guy and I was starting to look forward to seeing more of you," Alex told him.

_If she only knew, Jigen thought._

"Well, maybe you'll see me before the race," Jigen told her with another small grin.

"I hope to," she told him.

So after a few hours of sitting there in long conversation, two more bottles of scotch, and a half drunk Alex, they decided to walk to the hotel that coincidently they were both staying at.

"I don't need an escort," Alex told him.

"I'm not an escort, I'm a friend trying to make sure you get to your room safely," Jigen told her.

"Fine," she told him as they walked to the elevator.

"You seem like your sobering up fast," he told her.

"I'm not a light drinker," she explained.

"So I see," he replied, feeling like he was talking to the female version of himself.

"You going to walk me to my door," she asked him.

"I was thinking about it," Jigen told her.

"Alright then," she said with a smile as the elevator stopped.

Jigen and Alex walked out the elevator and almost got to her room before a guard grabbed his arm.

"Relax, he's with me," Alex said dryly.

"Fine," the guard said letting go of his arm.

Jigen walked Alex to her door and smiled at her.

"Guess I'll see you around," he told her.

"Hey, wait," Alex said as he started to walk off.

"Yeah," he said turning around.

"Just this," Alex said walking up to him and kissing him. "Oh, this too."

Alex pulled out a piece of paper and pen and wrote her number on it and handed it to him.

"Call me, and good night Jigen," she said.

"Night Alex," he said with a smile and walked to the elevator and got in.

Alex walked into her dad's hotel suite and smiled as she leaned against the door.

"You okay," asked a voice from the couch.

"Oh hi dad," she said smiling at him.

Alvin Marriott was a very successful man in his late thirties. He looked like an older male version of his daughter with black hair and blue eyes. Sitting next to him was a brown haired brown eyed girl. She looked to be about thirty something and was going over what seemed to be a legal brief.

"Amber, long night?" Alex asked her.

"Very," Amber muttered.

Amber was Alvin's secretary. She had been working for him for years. She started working for him when she had her son Alexander, who goes by Zander and was downstairs in the arcade. Then when her son was twelve, her husband suddenly just walked out without telling her why. She had been devastated. Alvin was there to comfort her and they had become close friends.

Amber was actually Alex's best friend. The age difference didn't matter. Amber had been there for Alex all the times her mom hasn't which means all the time. Amber was the one that explained the birds and the bees to her. She was the one that was there when Alex was worried about her first date and Amber was the one who cared about her. Not Alex's mother.

About two years ago Alvin and Amber had been held up in the office talking about paper work when Alvin had kissed her. Arista, who was Alex's mom, had been cheating on him for years. In his mind his marriage was over, the only reason why they weren't divorced was she wouldn't sign the papers. Alvin and Amber had been a couple since that night and it didn't bug Alex in the slightest. She was actually happy they were dating.

"Alex, what's got you so happy," Alvin asked her.

"Nothing much," Alex said and walked to her room.

"I'll go see what's up with her," Amber said standing up and walking into the room.

"I should have known you wouldn't let it rest," Alex said from her bed.

"What's his name," Amber asked.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean the boy that's made you so happy, what's his name," Amber asked closing the door.

"Antori Jigen," Alex told her with a smile.

"What's he like," Amber asked sitting down on the bed.

"From what I saw today, just like me," Alex said with a smirk.

"Oh great, another Alex," Amber groaned.

"What's wrong with me," Alex asked offended.

"Nothing, so you like him?"

"Very much, I mean he is so unlike the other boys I know. I know all these prep school jerks and he's just not like that. I guess it's like the song Uptown Girl, I had to find someone not from money to actually like him," Alex told her.

"Maybe, so is he going to call," Amber asked her.

"I gave him my number, and that might be him," she said as the phone rang.

Amber reached for the phone and answered it before Alex could even turn around.

"Hello, oh hi Bryan," she said dully as she heard the person on the other line.

"Listen Bryan, Alex is busy, she just met someone and they're up here, and if it was being taped and sold it would be x rated so why don't you call back later, oh you will? That's terrific, bye Bryan," Amber said and hung up the phone.

"How'd Bryan get the hotel number," Alex asked her.

"Because he works for your dad and anyone who works for your dad gets the number," Amber told her.

Bryan was one of the most annoying men Alex had ever known. He had been chasing her around for years and wouldn't catch the hint. She figured that he believed she wanted him because she had gotten drunk at a party and things had gotten out of hand. Then again, he's the on that took advantage of her in the first place.

"Well, let's hope he doesn't call back," Alex muttered.

"Actually if you listen your dad's on the phone with him right now," Amber whispered.

"There's no man in Alex's room," they heard Alvin say.

"She said she met someone, the only person who is in that room with her is Amber," Alvin continued. "Amber and Alex? Man you have got to be kidding me. the minute I get home I'm getting you a shrink. Bye Bryan."

Alvin hung up his cell phone and walked into Alex's room.

"Let me guess, you're responsible for that call I just got," he asked Amber.

"Now how could you accuse me of something like that," she asked innocently.

"Because I know you," he told her with a small smile.

"You're right, I told him that things were turning x rated in her with Alex and someone she just met, is it my fault he thinks I'm gay, or yours for acting like nothing is going on with us?" she asked.

"I'm going to take the smart way out of that and not argue my point," he told her.

"Good," she replied.

"Are you guys done with your paper work yet," Alex asked them.

"Oh I wish, but your dad is a workaholic and I have like three stacks of folders," Amber muttered.

"I'll take care of that, how about you go to bed," Alvin asked her.

"Can she stay in here in and talk to me, we have some things to talk about," Alex said.

"Fine," Alvin said walking out.

"What'd you need," Amber asked her looking concerned.

"Well you wanted to know about mystery man didn't you," Alex asked her.

"Well of course," Amber said pulling her legs up and wrapping her arms around her knees.

"Well we met at the bar; of course you're thinking how great of a guy can he be if he's at a bar. He's a great guy; he's just a big fan of scotch, like I am. I don't know why, but I just feel as if I've known him forever. It's strange how I feel like that, but I don't know," Alex said softly.

"Oh I know how that feels," Amber said with a smile.

"You've felt like that before," Alex asked her.

"Once," Amber replied.

"What happened," Alex asked.

"Well, we started dating and he starting cheating on his cold and heartless wife, and I wound up talking to his daughter about how she felt about a mystery guy," Amber told her.

"Oh," Alex replied. "Amber can I ask you something?"

"Go ahead," Amber told her.

"Why are you still with my dad when you know you guys can't get married," Alex asked her.

"Now that's a tough one to answer. I guess it's because I think that it's better to be with the person I love than to give it all up just because I can't call him my husband. I know he loves me, he's tried many times to get your mom to sign divorce papers, and she just won't do it. It hurts not being able to wake up next to him every day and not knowing he'll be mine for the rest of my life, but when you've been through a divorce I guess those things don't matter as much. Being married doesn't mean you're with someone forever. It just means that's how you felt about them at one point in time. So I just see it this way. As long as I know he loves me, I'm happy," Amber said with a distant look in her eyes.

"Are you sure about that," Alex asked.

"I don't know, it kills me not being able to wake up with him, but I love him and I handle it as best I can," Amber said with a small smile.

"How'd you know you were in love with my dad," Alex asked her.

"Now that ones even tougher. I mean he was my best friend before we dated so at one point I loved him as a friend. Then things got really hard for him when he realized what kind of woman your mom turned into. He knew before Zander's dad left what she was like, but I don't think he wanted to admit it. Then he caught her with some men in your guy's summer home in Florida. It really hurt him because he still loved her. So I was there for him like he was there for me. And I don't know, one day I realized I was in love with him, but I thought, he's my boss and he's married and we can't have any sort of relationship. Then one night we were stuck at the office after hours and he just kissed me, the rest as they say is history," Amber told her.

"Well if he's going to cheat on my mom, I'm glad it's with you, you're more of a mother to me than my birth mom, and hopefully one day I can call you mom," Alex said.

"Hopefully," Amber told her.

Amber smiled at her when the phone rang.

"Hello," Alex said.

"Hi," said a gruff voice on the other line.

"Jigen?" Alex asked with a smile.

"Yes," he replied.

Amber got up and walked out knowing Alex wanted to talk to him alone.

"How are you?" she asked him.

"Good, what about you," he asked.

"Good, what's that sound in the background though," she asked.

"Oh. That's just my roommate he snores like a bear," Jigen said chuckling.

"Really?"

"Yep," he said.

"Hey, can I come down to your room; I think I'm going to leave my dad and his girlfriend alone for the night," Alex told him.

"Sure, you know where it is right?" he asked her.

"Actually, no I don't," she said laughing.

"It's room 32 B," he told her laughing himself.

"Hey, you're room is right under mine," she said.

"Ok then," he said.

"I'll be down there in a few," she said.

"Alright, see you then Alex," he said.

"Bye," she said hanging up.

Jigen hung up his phone and sat there in the chair thinking. He had never wanted to spend this much time with a person. He didn't even spend this much time with the dancer in Spain. Well actually he did, but that couldn't have been helped, he thought she was in danger. Alex on the other hand, he knew she was perfectly safe. She wasn't allowed to go anywhere without body guards. Well at least any where down the street. The hotel she was allowed to walk around on her own. He knew she was famous and he didn't care, for once he wasn't thinking about the money, he was just thinking about her.

Then he heard a knock on his door. He walked to it and opened.

"Hey," he said with a smile.

"Hey," she replied.

"Come on in," he said stepping back letting her into the room.

"Is that the roommate," she asked him pointing to the couch.

"Yeah," he told her.

"Well then, what are we going to do now that I'm here," she asked him.

"I was going to leave that up to you actually," he said.

"Good," she said leaning up to kiss him.

Jigen wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her back. He sat down in the chair with her in his lap deepening the kiss. The only reason why they broke off the kiss was their need for oxygen.

"Wow," she said looking at him.

"That was going to be my line," he replied.

"Well then how about no talking," she said leaning down to kiss him again.

That's when they heard someone clearing their throat behind them.

"Hi Goemon," Jigen replied annoyed.

"Don't let me interrupt just warn a guy next time," Goemon said from the couch.

Alex looked at Jigen her face turning red in embarrassment.

"How about you do that somewhere other than the living room of our suite," Goemon said.

"You know that's a good idea, I know I planned on coming down here, but how about we go up to my hotel suite," Alex said looking at Jigen.

"Sounds good," he replied.

"Alright, let's go," she said standing up pulling him to his feet.

"I'll see you later," Jigen said to Goemon.

"See you in the morning," Goemon replied rolling over on the couch.

Jigen and Alex walked up to her room stopping along the way to kiss every now and then. When she opened the door to her hotel suite she shook her head and turned on the light.

"Can't believe it, they already went to bed, they act like teenagers," she muttered.

"Wait a minute, isn't your dad married," Jigen asked, the fact that she said her dads girlfriend just clicking in his head.

"Who says he can't have a girlfriend because he's married, it happens all the time. Look at Bill Clinton," Alex said.

"Good point," Jigen replied.

"Come on, my room's this way," she told her leading him to her bedroom.

Jigen followed her to her room and wrapped his arms around her when they sat down on her bed.

"You know, I should really feel bad about letting you in here, I feel as if I've known you for a while," she told her.

"I know how you feel," he told her.

"Really," she asked looking up at him.

"Yeah," he said leaning down to kiss her.

Alex wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him back.

(The Next Morning)

Jigen rolled over and smiled at the girl beside him. Last night had been one of the best nights of his life. He couldn't believe how close he and Alex were after only knowing each other for such a short time. Part of him wanted to tell Alex what he did for a living and ask her to come with him, but he couldn't do that. He'd already ruined his life he couldn't risk ruining hers as well. He also didn't know if she would call the police on him or not.

Alex started to stretch and opened her eyes smiling at him.

"Morning," he said.

"Good morning to you to," she said leaning over to kiss him.

"It's a very good morning," he told her.

"Why's that," she asked her.

"Because I'm spending it with you I hope," he replied.

"I hope you are too," she said kissing him again, that's about the time the door opened and her father walked in.

"What the hell," he said in shock.

"Dad, haven't you ever heard of knocking," she asked pulling the cover up.

"Uh right, I'll just be going," he said walking out of her room.

"You okay," Amber asked him.

"I don't know really," he replied.

"Alvin, what's wrong," she asked him.

"Did you know Alex had a man in here tonight," Alvin asked.

"She brought him back here, good for her, go Alex," Amber said.

"Go Alex? You're happy about this," Alvin asked her shocked.

"Well one, she's not my daughter so I have no right to be mad, two, she really likes the guy, and three, she's twenty one, she's going to be having sex," Amber said rolling her eyes.

Back in Alex's room Jigen and Alex were sharing a good laugh over this.

"I can't believe it, did you see his face when he walked in," Alex asked.

"Yes I did, and now I fear for my life," Jigen replied shaking his head.

"Don't worry, Amber'll calm him down," Alex told him.

"The girlfriend?"

"And secretary, and best friend, and practically adopted mom, yeah her," Alex said sitting up.

"I take it you like the woman," Jigen said.

"She's cool, she's a lot better than my mom," Alex told him.

"Oh, then it's good she's around I guess," Jigen replied.

"Yes it is, or else I would be a very snobby person, the minute I start to act the least bit snobby Amber said she would kill me," Alex told him.

"Alright then, so what are you doing today," Jigen asked her.

"I have to practice for the race tomorrow and then I have to do nothing, besides have a good time," Alex told him.

"Well, I have to help my friend plan for the race so I'll see you around three?" he asked her.

"Sounds good to me, I'll meet you at the track alright," she said.

"Alright," he said.

"But first, how about a morning swim," she asked him.

"Sounds good," he replied.

(Later that day)

Jigen walked into Lupin's Hotel suite while he was pouring over a bunch of maps of the track.

"You going to give that a break man," he asked him.

Goemon who was sitting on the couch looked up at him.

"Don't tell you spent all morning with that woman," he asked him.

"And if I did," Jigen asked him.

"I'd ask you if that girl had brain problems to spend so much time with someone who is a pessimist and never has anything nice to say to anyone," Goemon said.

"No, she has nothing wrong with her, it's just when I'm around you guys I seem to have a temper, why do you think that is," he asked Goemon looking out to corner of his eye at Lupin.

"Right, I get your point," Goemon replied.

"You're the same way around him," Jigen said.

"Why do you think I don't talk," Goemon said.

"Nice tactic, I prefer to piss him off, though," Jigen said.

"I think you should leave that to Fujiko. She does a better job of pissing Lupin off than we do, all she has to say is "your sleeping on the couch" and he's as pissed of as he can get," Goemon told him.

"And he gets that a lot these days," Jigen replied.

"Yeah he does, especially since India, I don't think she's quite forgiven him for that," Goemon told him.

"I don't think she has either, she's good at holding grudges," Jigen said.

"Always has been," Goemon said.

A few minutes later they got to helping Lupin plan his race tactics and of course Jigen told them all he wanted to go gambling he had planned on bringing Alex with them, and when Lupin agreed he ran down to the race track seeing as it was five after three.

"There you are, I almost thought you weren't going to show," Alex said when she saw him approaching.

"Well I'm here, I got a question, how would you like to go gambling with my friends and I tonight," he asked her.

"Let me guess, you promised and you don't want to back down but you want to be around me," she asked him.

"How'd you know," he said shocked.

"I'm just perceptive like that, sounds good to me," she said with a smile.

"Alright, let's go," he replied and they went to meet Lupin at the Casino.

(At The Casino)

After a few hours Lupin was starting to be everyone at the Casino. People were shocked at how good he was at playing cards.

"Come on, doesn't anyone want to wipe the smirk off my face," Lupin asked everyone.

"I . . . I mean, we will," said a voice from the corner.

Lupin looked up to see a rich man walk out with a browned haired girl holding on to his arm. Her hair was light brown and wavy, she had a slightly tan appearance and her eyes were brown. You could tell she was half Japanese and half English.

"Been a while love," the woman said winking.

"F, F, F, Fujiko," Lupin gasped out.

The man took a seat at the table across from Lupin.

"Fujiko, what are you doing in Monaco," Lupin asked her.

"Visiting Socrates, me and him go way back. Socrates this is the old friend I was telling you about, Lupin The Third, meet Socrates Nexis," she said.

"Enough with the introductions let's get on to some serious card playing," Nexis commanded. "Do you think you can beat me Mr. Lupin?"

"I can beat you with one hand tied behind my back," Lupin yelled.

"Go get him darling," Fujiko told Nexis which predictably caused Lupin to become pissed.

"Did you hear that, she called him darling," Lupin yelled to Jigen and Alex who were standing off to the side.

"Lupin calm down, poker isn't a game for the emotional," Jigen said nervously.

So they started to play. Half way into the rounds Alex went to get drinks for her and Jigen. She was getting annoyed with Lupin. She came here to have fun and he was making them all look like fools because of a woman. She hated it when men did that, although she didn't think she would mind if it was Jigen doing that for her. She had a feeling she would enjoy the sight.

When she got back she heard Lupin say something about a Class A machine outside.

"What, Lupin, NO!" she heard Jigen yelled.

That's when she realized what happened. Lupin had just bet his race car.

"Done," Nexis said.

"In that case, three queens Nexisy poo," Lupin said.

"I'm sorry to disappoint you Mr. Lupin, but once again you have lost," Nexis said laughing.

"What?"

"Four Aces," Nexis said.

That's when Alex realized that Jigen was only in his boxers along with Lupin. Apparently Goemon had shown up in time because he was standing there in a towel.

"What happened to your guys clothes," she asked.

"He got cocky with his bets," Jigen muttered.

"Idiot," she muttered. "Now we don't have to worry about him being on the streets during the race though."

"Yeah, or flirting with you like he did when he got here, I'm glad you kicked him though," Jigen told her.

"Yeah I don't think we have to worry about any girls getting pregnant by him for a few days," Alex told him.

"Yeah come on, we better go before we get kicked out," Jigen told her.

"True," Alex replied.

Jigen and the others made there way back to the hotel and went to there rooms. Jigen said goodbye to Alex and told her that he would be to her room later on though. Which of course made her happy and she walked to the elevator with him where he kissed her bye and walked backed into Lupin's room.

"Thanks for getting cocky," Jigen muttered sitting down.

"You're the friggen devil man, I wanted to study for the race but you wanted to go to the casino," Lupin yelled at him.

"Hey I didn't twist your friggen arm you're the idiot who threw down his clothes and machines," Jigen yelled back.

"I KNOW," Lupin yelled back.

"Stripped down and screaming just the way I like them," said a feminine voice from the doorway.

"How dare you show your face here," Lupin said looking at her while the others just stared.

"I'd say keep your shirt on, but it's a little late for that isn't it," she said to him.

"What are you doing here Fujiko," Goemon said.

"Got a deal for you," she told them.

"Well I came to offer you a proposition, but if you aren't interested in racing tomorrow than be my guest," Fujiko replied.

"How can I? I lost my race car to you new beau," Lupin said eyes shinning with jealousy.

"My beau, oh please but anyway Nexis is willing to bet the farm on you tomorrow but you have to race for him," she said with a laugh.

"Why should I," he asked.

"Well, Nexis has every wealthy person in Monaco in his pocket. They are all betting on who will win the race, but none of them would bet for you. Its pocket change mostly. So if you race he would become rich, but what if we take the money," Fujiko asked him.

"Wait a minute Lupin, since when has a plan from Fujiko brought us anything but trouble," Jigen asked.

"Jigen, that hurts, you know I always thought of you guys as close family," she told him with a pout.

Goemon fought hard to hold in his laughter, he knew Fujiko hated her family.

"So, we take the money and Nexis gets nothing," Fujiko told him.

"Ooh baby, I love it when you talk like that," Lupin said excitedly and walked in the other room to get ready for the race the next day.

"I'm heading upstairs, I'll talk to you guys in the morning," Jigen said getting off the couch.

"Going to see Alex," Goemon asked him.

"Yeah I've been meaning to ask who that girl from the casino was," Fujiko asked him.

"Her name is Alex, and her and Jigen are getting along very well," Goemon said as Jigen walked out.

"You don't mean," Fujiko said and Goemon nodded.

"Wait, I'm gone for a few days and Jigen is sleeping with someone, has hell frozen over is Lupin gay?" Fujiko asked.

"I think the debacle from the Casino speaks for itself," Goemon said.

"True, listen Goemon I know what happened between us in France hasn't been discussed between us. But I need to let you know this right now. I don't know what I think of it. It was amazing and new and completely confusing. You've been my best friend for eleven years and I never thought of you in that way until just a few weeks ago. Until you kissed me in India, I have been thinking about you nonstop since that night. Then what happened in France was completely out of the blue, and I should feel guilty for cheating on Lupin, but then again, he's cheated on me before hasn't he, remember when he had that bet about the safes, and it's not even that, that makes me not feel guilty. It's you. With you it felt so right and so perfect. Like it was supposed to happen and that scares me, so please just give me a chance to think alright," she said looking at him in the eyes.

"Alright," he told her with a smile. "Was it really amazing?"

Fujiko laughed a bit at the question and gave him a smile.

"The best," she said.

Goemon stood up, sat down next to Fujiko, and put his arm around her.

"Why do you have to be so nice to me?" Fujiko asked her.

Goemon looked at her and wondered whether he should tell her how he felt or not but decided against it. She was confused enough by her feelings he shouldn't add fuel to the flames.

"Because you mean a lot to me," he told her.

Fujiko smiled and laid her head on his shoulder part of her wanted to crying in confusion and part of her wanted to cry in happiness. She thought for the past two years that she was in love with Lupin, but if she was why would she be having these feelings for Goemon.

(The Next Day)

Jigen woke up once again in Alex's room and shook her awake.

"Alex, you have to get up, you have a race in two hours," he told her.

"Already," she asked him.

"Yeah," he told her.

"I guess I won't see you after race," she asked him.

"Not in Monaco at least," he told her, he really wanted to tell her why, but he knew he couldn't he didn't know if he trusted her yet.

"Damn, I'll miss you," she told him.

"I'll miss you too," he said and kissed her. "Just give them hell for me alright?"

"I will," she told him.

"Good, but I better go, I'm going to miss you alright, but if you give me your cell phone number I can call you when possible," he told her.

"Alright," she told him and wrote the number down.

"I'll see you soon alright, I'll make sure of it," he told her kissing her.

"You better," she said as he started to get dressed.

Alex got dressed herself and walked him to her door and kissed him bye as he walked out then she let the tears fall. She didn't know how but she had grown so many feelings for him in a short period of time and it hurt to see him say goodbye.

Jigen was feeling bad himself. He walked down stairs and walked into the room Lupin was in.

"So, where are we going," he asked them.

After they got everything decided and everything worked out they made the way to their positions. Part of Jigen thought she was putting a show on for him, but another part of him told him that Alex felt the same as did.

Back at the track Lupin and Alex were getting in their cars. She remembered what Jigen had said and she planned on following that advice. She was going to give them hell.

They started their engines and started the race. It was a close tie between Lupin and Alex from the start and she wasn't about to lose to Jigen's baboon of a friend when he had clearly stated he wanted her to win.

"Blue arrow to pit crew, are you ready," Lupin said into his cb radio.

"Yeah we're ready," replied Jigen's gruff voice.

Standing on the side lines was Zenigata and Lorraine. Lorraine was looking at Zenigata like his was crazy.

"Souta Koichi Zenigata, don't tell me you plan on going into the middle of that track," she said in shock.

"Where'd you learn my middle name," she asked him.

"It was in your file," she said evasively.

"Well it's my job," he replied to her.

Lorraine shook his head and kept quiet. Chasing Lupin so long had definitely drove him off the deep end she thought.

"We'll get him Lorraine," he told her.

"If you say so," she told him.

In another part of town Fujiko, Jigen, and Goemon were standing in front of an oil truck.

"They've had plenty of time to count the money, they will be loading it on a truck now," Fujiko told them.

"Then come on, let's go," Jigen said.

They got into the truck and pulled on fire proof suits, which meant they were planning something that had to do with fire. Fujiko pointed out the van that had the money in it when she saw it. That's when they sprayed oil on the road.

"Here are two shrimps on the Barbie," Jigen said throwing his lighter in the road.

They got out the truck and ran through the fire to Nexis' truck and got the money. On the way back two of Nexis' goons stopped Fujiko and pulled off her mask.

"Why you bitch," said one of the guys who then got hit in the stomach by Goemon's sword.

"Buh bye," Fujiko said to him before getting back in the truck.

In Nexis' booth a phone rang.

"Hello," he said.

"The money's gone boss," said a voice.

"What!"

"It was Fujiko she was playing all along," the goon said.

"Get them you fool, get them and kill them, then get the money and kill them again," Nexis yelled.

Back in the oil truck, Jigen and the others were being held up by the police stopping them from going anywhere. They were barricading every way to possibly leave the city, apparently they found out.

Damn it," he said quickly turning the truck another direction, "Fujiko, hand me the CB handle"

Fujiko picked it up and handed it to him.

He took it with his right hand while steering the truck with his left.

"Lupin," he said.

"Yeah" Lupin's voice answered over the speaker.

"I hate to say it man but we're a little too famous a little too fast. You know when they say that Monaco is a hard place to leave they weren't kidding," Jigen told them.

Lupin looked around the track and saw one of the cars spin in a circle and drive right through a guard rail into the water.

"Right," Jigen said, "Fujiko and I will meet you at the Pit Stall in 10 minutes"

"Ten-four," Lupin said.

Jigen drove a little further and stopped the truck letting Goemon out.

"You sure you know the place he's talking about?" Jigen asked.

"Good luck," Fujiko said.

Goemon nodded and ran off.

"See with Lupin around there's always a plan B," said Fujiko giving him a wink.

Jigen looked at her and shook his head.

"Right, come on," he said.

Back at the track Lupin pulled into the pit stop and saw Jigen and Fujiko standing there.

"Come on," he heard Jigen say, "we gotta change all six tires on this hot rod"

After the pit crew had finished Lupin looked at Jigen and Fujiko winking.

"See ya soon," he said driving off.

Suddenly he saw someone jumping right into the middle of the track.

"Zenigata," Lupin said slamming on the breaks.

"You're under arrest Lupin," Zenigata yelled.

"Didn't your mom tell never to cross in the middle of the street," Lupin said. "What about Lorraine, I'm sure she has her blond moments too, but not this bad."

"You leave them out of this," Zenigata yelled.

"Get out the road you Lunatic," Lupin yelled then sped up and ran Zenigata over as soon as he tried to get out the way.

When he got away Lorraine ran out too see if Zenigata was okay. She may not always get along with the guy, but she didn't want him dead.

"You okay," she asked.

"Did you get the license on that," he asked her.

"Yeah Lupin the third," she muttered.

"I thought so," he said and passed out.

Lupin sped up and drove right into the guard rail a few feet down. Alex who was right behind him saw that eyes wide with shock, but she didn't slow down and think about it, in fact she sped up taking the lead and in the end taking the race.

Meanwhile the gang was getting Lupin out of the water along with the money. Then they made their way to Macao, where Lupin lost all of there money and in the ending completely and totally pissing Fujiko off.

After they completely lost their money and clothes in Macao they went back to the hotel and got changed then made their way to France.

Later that night Jigen went through his pockets and pulled out Alex's number. He was dying to call her. He knew he shouldn't get attached to her, he knew he should leave her alone because in the end it would only hurt them both, but he couldn't. He loved her and that was the only thing going through his mind right now.

He leaned over and picked up his phone and dialed.

"Hello?"

"Alex," he said.

"Jigen, is that you," she asked him excitedly. "I miss you already you know that right, I won the race though.

"Yeah it's me," he told her. "And I'm glad you won."

"I know, so we're in Paris celebrating," she told him.

"You're in Paris," he asked her.

"Yeah why?" she asked him.

"Because, my friends and I are in the outskirts of town, you want to meet up," he asked her.

"Sure, where," she asked him.

"Top of the Eiffel tower," he suggested.

"Sounds good to me," she said and they hung up.

Jigen sat there for a minute thinking. He was going to tell her everything tonight. He hated lying to her and he planned on telling her exactly what he did for a living and who with. He only wished he knew if she would rat him out or not. If she did, it was worth the twenty years. If she didn't he hoped she could handle never being around him. He really cared about her, and for the first time in a long time he felt as if he could trust someone and he hoped he was right.

(End of Chapter)

There you have it. Who's Vroomin Who? With my very own twists, I hope you like it. I'm sorry if you don't and flames are welcome if you want. I am already planning the next chapter. I know what happens in it and all.

Thanks to Psycho-Katrina15, for all your support, you're the best friend a girl can have, and I'm going to need to use Alex for the last chapters, there are six in all sound good to you?

Whitesepulchre, thanks for all the support also. I hope you are able to write your story, I look forward to reading it if you do. I really love that you like my story, it means a lot.

And J. Lucy-Daisuke, I know you haven't reviewed, but when you get the chance to read I am thanking you ahead of time. Thanks for all the support you gave me in Im's also. It means a lot.

Thanks to you all, and those that don't review,

Thanks for reading.

LunasStar

Next Chapters:

Drowning: Sleight Before Christmas

It Was You: I Lost My Mind In San Francisco

Anywhere For You: Curse Of The Jumbo Juju

Butterfly: Original no episode

From This Moment On: No Episode

I Do (Cherish You): No Episode, the end.


	11. Drowning

Are You Ready For Love

Disclaimer: You know this by now, but it's not mine.

Author's Note: Well, I only have a few more chapters to go. Sorry, I'm going to hate to end it, but there is going to be a sequel. Oh and this isn't going to contain sleight before Christmas. Originally it did, but I decided to make it into a short little sweet chapter between heists.

Chapter Title: Drowning

Chapter Summary: Well, looks like love is in the air..

_'Cause every time I breathe  
I take you in  
And my heart beats again  
Baby I can't help it  
You keep me drowning in your love  
Every time I try to rise above  
I'm swept away by love  
Baby I can't help it  
You keep me drowning in your love_

_Drowning, Backstreet Boys_

(On With The Story)

Jigen got to the Eiffel Tower in record timing. He parked his car and made his way up to the top of the tower. He didn't know whether it was excitement of seeing Alex again or fear of her reaction when he told her what he was that got him so bent out of shape.

He had grabbed a blanket out of his trunk knowing it would be cold up there; it was near Christmas after all. He sat down once he got to the top of the tower to wait. He lit a cigarette and looked over the side of the railing. It was snowing lightly which only added to the scenery. He saw a cab pull up in the parking lot and someone got out.

**_She took a cab, he thought. _**

He wondered why she didn't drive her herself, then again, she was unpredictable. He watched as she ran up to the tower and walked to the elevator. When he heard her step off the elevator he turned throwing the cigarette over the railing.

"Hey," he said with a smile.

"Hey, you know it's freezing out here," she told him.

"I know," he replied.

Alex walked over to him and leaned against the rail looking out over the city. From this distance it looked so peaceful, like nothing bad could happen. She wished that were true. She felt Jigen come up behind her and wrap his arms around her waist and smiled. With him she felt so safe, so secure in the world. She didn't feel like a spoiled little rich girl. She felt like a normal girl who didn't spend half her life traveling the world and being treated like dirt by one parent only to have the other treat her like a princess.

Alex leaned back and kissed him.

"You seem happy," he said into her ear went they broke the kiss of.

"I am," she replied.

"You too, huh," he asked.

"Yeah I missed you so much and you weren't even gone for a day," she whispered.

"I know how you feel; I couldn't believe how much I missed you. And for me, that's saying something, I don't get attached easily," he told her.

"What's so special about me," she asked him.

"I dunno, with you it just feels right, everything seems to make sense even if the relationship makes no sense what's so ever. I mean I've only known you for a few days and every thing I have come to believe about women over the past few years has been thrown out the window," he said.

"Well then, I didn't know I had that effect on you," she said shocked.

"Well you to, and to be quite honest, it kinda scares me," he told her truthfully.

"Well you don't have to be scared because I feel the same and I'm not scared just in shock," she told him.

"Alright," he replied and kissed her.

They both sat down on the roof and he put his arms around her waist her head leaning against his chest. Jigen wrapped the blanket around them both and they sat there in silence.

"You okay, you're a little quiet today," Alex told him.

"There is just a lot I have to tell you that you might hate me for," he told her.

"You a drug dealer?"

"No, nothing like that," he told her with a small laugh.

"You're really gay?" she asked him.

"No, not even," he told her looking offended.

"Then what is it?"

"It's kinda hard to say. I'm on the run from the law," he told her after a deep breath.

"You're WHAT?" she practically yelled jumping up.

"Let me explain Alex," he told her. "When I was eighteen I hooked up with Lupin, Goemon, and Fujiko. I actually work for Lupin. We're professional thieves," he told her.

"What was this all some sort of plan," she asked him pacing. "Fool the spoiled little rich girl into thinking you actually care about her so that way when she wasn't paying attention you have your friends come in and rob her family."

"No, Alex, none of it was a plan, we were there for the race and the race only," he told her.

"Right," she said turning and walking into the elevator.

"Bye Jigen," she told him as the door closed.

Jigen stood there for a minute thinking. He had gone over this in his mind and had a thousand different reactions but he hadn't been prepared for this one. He had actually seen tears on her face when she got into the elevator. He had never meant to hurt her. He got up and hit the button on the elevator. He wasn't letting her get away without her knowing the truth.

When the elevator got to the bottom he ran out and looked around. She was sitting on the ground crying. That's when he remembered she had taken a cab.

"Alex," he said walking over to her and putting a hand on her shoulder.

"What do you want," she asked through her tears.

"I wasn't using you," he said sitting down beside her. "I would never do that. I really care about you or else I wouldn't have told you. I would have kept it a secret," he told her.

"You mean it, you actually care about me," she asked looking up at him.

Jigen looked into her bright blue eyes that shimmered with tears and knew he was lost. There was no way he was turning back now. He was telling her the truth, he did care about her, and he cared so much it really scared him.

"Yeah, I do," he said sitting down beside her. "Listen, I told you my name was Antori, and that was my name when I was a kid, but when I was eighteen I changed it to Daisuke. My name is Daisuke Jigen; I have wanted posters in almost every country of the world. I'm telling you this because for the first time in my life I trust someone."

"I trust you too, at least now I do, as long as I know you won't hurt me and you won't lie to me anymore I trust you," she told her.

"I promise Alex," he told her.

"Good, now come on its cold and I want to get indoors," she told him standing up and kissing him.

"Where are we going to go," he asked her.

"I was hoping your place," she told him.

"Sounds like a plan to me," he told her walking with her to his car.

(On the other side of town)

Fujiko walked inside the small house they had been able to rent for a few weeks. A friend of her family had allowed them to rent it for as long as they needed it with his promise of silence. She heard some giggling from one of the bedrooms and stopped. That was her and Lupin's room, which either meant the T.V. was on or someone had a girl in her room and she had only one guess as to who it was.

Goemon was sitting on the couch and gave her a pity look which only confirmed her suspicions. Fujiko made her way to the room and walked in right in time to see the girl finish getting dressed.

"Fujicakes," she heard Lupin gasp.

"I think I better go," the girl said getting up to walk out.

"Don't forget this," Fujiko said holding up her purse.

The girl walked out and Fujiko looked at Lupin with a raised eyebrow.

"Fujicakes, I'm sorry, I really am. It just happened," he told her starting what she figured was a very long apology speech.

"Don't worry about it Lupin. I've heard it all and to be completely honest. I'm not mad at you, in fact I'm relieved. Makes what I wanted to do a lot easier," she told him.

"What's that," he asked her.

"I came home today to tell you it's over Lupin. I realized something; things between you and me were never real. I never loved you, I thought I loved you but I never did. I wouldn't have tried to have you killed if I did," she told him and walked out the room.

"Is this because the girl, because she means nothing," Lupin told her.

It was about that time that the door opened and Jigen and Alex walked in. Lupin was standing in the door way in a bed sheet and Fujiko was by the couch staring at him.

"What's going on here," Alex asked him.

"I'm guessing the usual," Jigen replied. "I'm staying out of it."

"Hi Jigen," Fujiko said then she turned back to Lupin. "Listen Lupin, it might be hard for you egotistical mind to comprehend, but sometimes a girls heart isn't broken by you cheating on her. Maybe some girls don't care because they weren't exactly faithful to you because they don't love you."

"You cheated on me, with whom," Lupin demanded angrily.

"None of your business Lupin, and it's kinda hypocritical for you to get mad don't you think," Fujiko said with a smirk and walked out the room.

"Tough break Lupin," Jigen said with a shrug.

"What's she doing here?" Lupin asked him pointing at Alex.

"I brought her, don't worry, she knows," Jigen told him.

"You told her, how can you be so stupid and to tell her," Lupin asked him.

"Don't worry baboon, I'm not going to tell anyone," Alex replied.

"Hi Alex," Goemon told her.

"Hi Goemon," Alex said with a smile.

"Night Alex, see you in the morning," Goemon told her.

"How'd you know where we were heading," Alex asked him.

"I'm a guy, I know what's on a man's mind," he told her.

"Right, you're not a manly girl you're a guy," she said.

"You thought I was a woman?" he asked her shocked.

"No it was a joke," she replied.

"Night Goemon," Jigen told her.

"Night Jigen," Goemon replied.

Jigen led Alex to his bed room and smiled at her. He was glad she hadn't run and told the police what he was. He was glad he finally found someone he could trust, even if what he felt for her was scary at times.

"Well you have me here, are you just going to stare our what?" Alex asked him.

Jigen leaned forward and kissed her which let Alex know he wasn't just going to stand there and stare.

(In The Next Room)

Fujiko heard Lupin slam his door angrily and walked out of her room. She didn't want to deal with him acting like a kid and that's why she had walked out the room.

"Nice outburst," Goemon said from his position on the couch.

"I thought so too," she replied sitting down beside him and looking at him.

She was telling the truth when she told Lupin that she had never loved him. She knew people thought she did, but she didn't. Between them had only been one thing and that was sex. She had hooked up with him originally because she knew what to expect and knew what he wanted.

But with Goemon things were different. She felt so safe when she was around him. She had always felt safe with him. She didn't know what she felt with him, but she felt something. She knew he felt something or else the things that had happened between them wouldn't have.

"Goemon?" she started.

"Yeah," he replied looking at her.

"You know I was telling the truth when I was telling Lupin off right?" she asked him.

"You were?"

"Yeah, you actually thought I was in love with him. I thought you knew me better than that," she asked him shocked.

"Well you always put up with him cheating and all his crap what else was I supposed to think?" he asked her confused.

"Goemon, it's me, why else would I be with Lupin," Fujiko asked him trying not to laugh.

"Don't tell me you were with the guy just for sex," Goemon asked her shocked.

"Would it be so bad if I was," she asked him softly.

"Why," he asked her.

"Because I knew what to expect so I wouldn't have worry about what was wanted of me," Fujiko told him.

"What about having someone to love unconditionally? Someone who wouldn't want you because of your bust size and would just want you because they love you? Someone who wouldn't want just sex from you, wouldn't that have been better," Goemon asked her.

"Who would love me like that Goemon," Fujiko asked looking up at him.

It was obvious his words had affected her. She was actually sad about them there were tears in her eyes like she actually believed no one could ever love her like that.

"I mean, who would love me with my past. Am I even worthy of that love? After all that I've done can you look me in the eye and honestly say someone would love me even with all that, name one person," she said looking at him tears falling down her face.

"I would," Goemon told her looking her in the eyes.

"What?" she asked him looking shocked.

"I love you Fujiko, I have for years," he told her.

Fujiko stared at him in shock. She knew he had feelings for her, but like that she had no idea.

"Why didn't you ever tell me," she asked him.

"I was scared at how you would reply," he admitted.

"You, scared," she asked shocked.

Goemon looked at her and nodded.

"I mean I thought you only saw me as a friend, not as something more than a friend," he told her.

"Even after France?"

"Yeah, I thought you regretted it," he told her.

"Never," she told him. "I mean, I feel something for you, I don't know what it is, but it's something."

"Good," he replied and kissed her.

**Well, there's a sweet little chapter to keep you satisfied between chapters. Hope you liked it. Thanks whitesepulchre for reviewing. And Thanks to psycho-Katrina15, you didn't review, but you told me what you thought. Here's another chapter for you.**

**Thanks,**

**LunasStar**


	12. I Wanna Know What Love Is

Are You Ready For Love

Author's Note: Looks Like this story is going to be long than I thought I would be. The Sequel will be up as soon as this one is over. It will be called Open Arms, and its Jigen's story. I hope you guys will like it. I'm already working on the first chapter.

Disclaimer: Not Mine

Chapter Title: I Wanna Know What Love Is

Chapter Summary: The Sleight Before Christmas

_I wanna know what love is  
I want you to show me  
I wanna feel what love is  
I know you can show me_

I Wanna Know What Love Is, Foreigner

(On With The Story)

Jigen woke up the next morning and felt Alex still sleeping beside him. He rolled over and smiled at her sleeping form. It was amazing how close they had become in so short a time. He had never thought he would feel this way about anyone, and it shocked him. Alex woke up and looked up at him.

"Morning," she said yawning.

"It is a good one," he replied leaning down to kiss her.

"Jigen, did you ever consider giving this life up," she asked him when he broke off the kiss.

"What do you mean," he asked looking at her.

"I mean quit being a thief," she replied.

"Not possible unless I want to go to jail for twenty years," he told her.

"Oh, well then, would you ever consider turning yourself in, like is there anything that would make you want to do that," Alex asked him.

"Like what?"

"Like being with me would you ever turn yourself in so you could be with me," she asked him.

"No, because if I did that means you would have to wait twenty years to be with me and miss your chance at having kids, trust me you would want to do that," Jigen told her.

"How do you know," she asked. "What if I don't ever plan on having kids, some women don't want to have kids."

"Trust me, I know someone who couldn't have kids and it hit her big time when she found out, you'll want kids, maybe not know, but in a few years you will," he told her.

"I guess you're right," she told him.

"I just know right now is one of the best moments of my life," he told her.

He was telling the truth too, waking up beside Alex made him feel as if everything was right in his life and he didn't know why.

"I know what you mean, if I didn't know better I would think I was," Alex broke off and looked away like she didn't want to say it.

"You would think you were what?"

"That I was in love with you," Alex told him softly. "But that's crazy talk because we haven't known each other long enough for that."

Jigen looked at her and smiled slightly.

"I know how you feel, only known each other for a few days and already I can't stand being away from you," he told her and leaned down to kiss her.

"Do you think we're completely crazy for jumping into a relationship so soon?" she asked him.

"Maybe, but what's life if not a bit crazy," he asked her.

"True," Alex replied and kissed him.

Jigen kissed her back and smiled at her again.

"What do I smell," she asked him.

"Someone's cooking, which means someone is in a good mood but I can't think of who," Jigen told her.

"Well come on, I'm hungry," Alex said jumping up.

"I'm not sure you want to go out there like that," Jigen replied raising an eyebrow at her.

"Right," Alex said when she looked down and realized she was completely naked. Alex hurried up and got dressed then looked at him.

"Aren't you getting up," she asked him.

"I guess so," he said getting up and getting dressed.

They walked out his room to see Fujiko in the kitchen cooking breakfast.

"What are you cooking," Alex asked her.

"The usual, eggs, bacon, hash browns, toast, and sausage," Fujiko replied.

By the time Fujiko got down listing what she was cooking, Alex looked ready to start her very own river with drool.

"Okay, I don't want to have to buy a rain coat, quit drooling," Jigen told her.

"Sorry, I'm just starving," Alex told him with a shy smile.

"So I can see," Jigen told her.

"What smells so good," said Goemon's voice from the doorway.

"Breakfast," Fujiko replied.

"Looks good too," he told her with a rare smile.

"When did you start cooking?"

"When I started traveling with three guys who don't know a skillet from a pan," she replied.

"Very funny," Goemon replied and kissed her.

Jigen looked at Alex in shock and smiled. Finally he wouldn't hear anymore complaining about Goemon wanting to be with Fujiko.

"Now go sit down," Fujiko said after they broke the kiss off. "I almost burnt the food."

"Not my fault you got distracted," Goemon said with a chuckle.

"If it isn't then I wonder who the stranger who came in and kissed me was," Fujiko replied dryly.

"Right," Goemon replied and sat down at the table next to Jigen and Alex.

"You guys finally hooked up I see," Jigen said looking at him.

"Yeah," Goemon replied.

"I'm glad you finally got together, now you can quit talking my friggen ear off about how much you love her and would never get over her," Jigen said.

"You look like hell," Alex said looking at Goemon.

"What do you mean," he asked her.

"You look like hell," she repeated.

He did too, his hair was a mess sticking every which way and his clothes looked like they had been through a storm. Fujiko looked at him and laughed.

"Goemon, haven't you heard of a brush," she asked him.

"Does it look that bad," he asked her.

"It looks like someone took a used mop and put it on your head," she told him setting the plates of food on the table.

"That's not good," he said as he started eating.

"I don't think anyone cares what they look like this morning," Jigen said to Fujiko.

"More than likely not, too good of a morning," she told him.

"For all of us I suppose," Alex said.

"True," Goemon replied.

After that they all ate in relative silence until Lupin walked in the room. He sat down and looked between them.

"Did someone die? Why is it so quiet," he asked.

"We were just enjoying a quiet meal," Fujiko replied.

"Yeah baboon, quiet, as in no talky talky," Alex replied.

"What the hell kinda talk it that," Lupin asked.

"Alex talk," Jigen replied. "She does it for fun sometimes."

"And let me guess, you think it's so cute," Lupin replied in a sick voice.

"I don't comment on it, I usually ignore it and go back to what I was doing before she started talking like that," Jigen said shaking his head. "And what the friggen hell is wrong with you?"

"Nothing," Lupin snapped.

He grabbed a plate of food and sat down and started eating. They went back to their quiet meal while Lupin sat there eating with a scowl on his face.

"What the friggen hell is wrong with you Lupin, you look like a kid who was told they couldn't have candy," Jigen said.

"Nothing is wrong," Lupin told him.

"And why the hell did you bring your girlfriend here when she could tell pops where we are? You know your track record with women, she's probably another traitor."

"Because I happen to trust this one, and she won't tell pops where we are," Jigen told him.

"Who's pops," Alex asked confused. "A very ugly, annoying, stupid, obsessive inspector," Fujiko replied. "Oh," was all Alex said.

"Of course, you trust her so we all should, well I don't," Lupin said and walked out.

"What's up his ass," Alex asked the others.

"Fujiko," Jigen and Goemon said together.

"What's that supposed to mean," Fujiko asked offended.

"How many times have you guys broken up?" Jigen asked her.

"Millions," Fujiko replied.

"And how many times has he left you alone and not chased you afterwards, or at least not pouted until you took him back," Goemon asked.

"Never," Fujiko said.

"He already wants you back and that's what's wrong with him," Jigen told her.

"Well he's not getting me back," Fujiko said.

"We know, but he doesn't," Goemon told her.

"Well he will soon enough," Fujiko told them.

"Alright, the baboon gets dissed," Alex said.

"I like this girl, she hates Lupin as much as I do, why do you hate him," Fujiko asked.

"Well I never told Jigen this, but one day at practice for the race he was hitting on me, so I beat him us," Alex said.

"No wonder he had a black eye the day I met you," Jigen said chuckling.

"Of course, Amber taught me how to stick up for myself," Alex told him with a grin.

"Well I'm glad she did," Jigen told them.

"You guys, I have our next heist," Lupin yelled from the living room excitedly.

(Meanwhile at a Hotel in Paris)

"Cheap wine and bread to break your teeth, it's no wonder they can't win a war," Zenigata muttered trying to eat.

"Why don't you quit complaining," Lorraine muttered from a chair across from him.

"I just hate France," Zenigata told her.

"I don't they have a city with my name," Lorraine said with a smile.

"That must make you feel important," Zenigata said.

"Of course it does, I'm sure you'd like it if you had a city with one of your names," she told him.

"Uh huh," he said and went back to trying to eat.

"Why don't you ever talk," Lorraine asked him apparently very bored.

"I don't have much to say," he replied.

"Really, well you could tell me about your daughter," she said.

"Well Aria just turned to five, that's why I called her the other day to wish her happy birthday. She has straight black hair and brown eyes," he told her.

"What's she like," Amber asked him.

"Hilarious, she'll do the silliest things," Zenigata said with a very rare smile. "Her mom called me one day and told me she tried to wash a fish with the water in the fish tank."

"How'd her mom react to that one," Lorraine asked.

"Told her that a fish lives in water, it doesn't need a bath," Zenigata said.

"Well at least you know she wants to take care of pets," Lorraine said with a giggle.

"Yeah, she said after that she made her watch Finding Nemo to show that fish doesn't need a bath, she regretted it later. She asked her to get a fish that looked like Dori," Zenigata told her.

"She sounds funny," Lorraine told him.

"As I said, she's hilarious," Zenigata said. Lorraine looked at him and smiled a little.

It was obvious he loved his daughter very much; it must be killing him to be away from her so long. She thought back to her son in New York with a pang. She had called him the other day, but her parents told her he was taking a nap so she wasn't able to talk to him. She had already missed his second birthday; she wondered how many more she would have to miss before they got Lupin behind bars.

"What about your son, what's he like," Zenigata asked her.

"Well he looks like his dad; he has blond hair and brown eyes. He doesn't do anything strange yet, he just turned two so right now he's driving my parents up the wall with his antics," Lorraine said.

"Where's his father?"

"Christian left right after I told him I might be pregnant. His father was working with the Italian mob I think it's called. I'm not sure, I just know it was dangerous for me to be with him, especially working at the Academy," she told him.

"Oh," Zenigata replied, he couldn't think of anything else to say.

That's when they saw the letter slip under the door. Zenigata's eyes quickly scanned over the contents of the letter and he jumped up.

"Lupin," he yelled and tripped, his bread falling out the window landing on a car and leaving a pretty good sized dent.

"Out the window before they charge you for damage," Lorraine hissed pulling him out the way. "What'd the note say.

"Lupin is going after the famous Napoleon Bonaparte wine tomorrow, so I guess we are going to have to guard some old wine," Zenigata told her.

"Why would he go after some wine," Lorraine asked confused.

"My guess is Fujiko and him got in a fight and he wants to get her back," Zenigata told her.

"Do they do that often," Lorraine asked.

"Do birds fly?"

"Let me take that as all the time," Lorraine asked him.

"They say more goodbyes than Cher," Zenigata told her.

"Wow, why don't they just break up for good then?"

"Because Lupin's a dumb ass and chases her all over the world to keep her," Zenigata told her.

"Of course, he can never give anything up can he," Lorraine asked.

"Why do you think I'm still chasing him," he told her.

"Good point, come on, we better go save that wine," Lorraine muttered.

"I know," Zenigata replied.

They quickly left the hotel and met up with the security guards watching the wine. "Hello Inspector Sanitation," One of them said to him.

"It's Zenigata," Zenigata said annoyed.

Lorraine set back as Zenigata posed his trick on Lupin, forcing them to take him to the wrong brewery. She couldn't believe Zenigata was actually smart enough to do this. She could tell he was getting annoyed with the guard however; he kept screwing up Zenigata's last name. She actually found it funny that the guard remembered hers and didn't remember Zenigata's.

She just sat back and enjoyed the ride while Zenigata butchered the French language. They got to the brewery and sat everything up waiting for Lupin to show up. They watched as he rolled three barrels into the room and take off the tops. He was shocked when Fujiko, Jigen, and Goemon stepped out of them. They heard Lupin say something then all started looking around as if looking for something.

"Alright Lupin we got you, little did you know I lead you right into a trap," Zenigata yelled from the rafters.

Lorraine shook her head and put it in her hands.

Why did he always have to announce he was there? Didn't he know better? That's when she saw Goemon jump up and slice to tops of barrels of wine.

"Oh shit," was all she said before running out of the brewery, she wasn't about to be swallowed in a wave of cheap French wine. After a few minutes Lorraine walked back in too see Zenigata getting drunk with the French guards.

"Great," she muttered grabbing him by his trench coat and pulling him out. She got him back to the hotel and sat him down in a chair where he passed out.

(The Next Day)

"You guys are a bunch of friggen light weights," Jigen said from his chair.

"Could you not talk to so loud," Lupin whined.

They were all sitting in the living room with ice packs on there heads, save for Alex she had to go home earlier for a Christmas party he dad had planned at their home in New York.

"Just for the record, I had never gotten a hangover from Saki," Goemon told him.

"Gee, could that be because it tastes like your wrung it out from your gym socks," Lupin snapped.

(Meanwhile)

"If I promise not to throw up on your shoes do you think you could get my name right," Zenigata said to the French guard.

Lorraine couldn't help but laugh it was his fault he had the hangover, and now he was having an extremely bad day. They sat down in their seats and a few minutes later Lorraine found herself falling asleep. When she woke up, she heard Zenigata being congratulated on saving the wine. As they were getting off the plane she looked at him.

"That's not the wine is it?"

Zenigata shook his head.

"Are we dead," she asked him.

Zenigata nodded.

"Great," she muttered, being insulted by her own president wasn't on her to-do list. That's when they found out that Lupin had taken a bunch of toys that were meant for needy children. They made their way to the White house dreading what was going to happen once they found out it wasn't the wine.

(At A Hotel In Washington DC)

The Lupin gang was sitting in front of a TV watching the White House dinner waiting for the president to realize it was juice instead of wine. They were a little shocked when the president liked the juice. But they were pissed when they tasted their wine and it tasted like crap. Then they heard what Zenigata was saying on the TV.

"It's despicable I tell you, stealing from needy children, and I thought Lupin could sink no lower," he was yelling.

They all looked at each other and sliced open the crate; they were shocked when a bunch of dolls fell out.

"Hey I had one of these when I was a kid," Fujiko said looking at them.

A few minutes later Zenigata's broadcast was interrupted by Lupin.

"We all make mistakes pops, at least I make up for mine," he said over the TV. They looked out the window to see dolls falling in the air and Lupin throwing them out a helicopter.

"Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good heist," Lupin yelled.

"Alright Lupin, you've made your point, now get back in the helicopter, I have some place I want to be," Jigen told him.

Lupin got back in the helicopter and sat down, too all appearances it seemed as if he enjoyed playing Santa.

Well time for my thank you's.

Thank you Psycho-Katrina15 for your kind reviews. You know it means a lot to me girl, and I am going to mention your story here. People, check out Love Will Find A Way, awesome story, and it has Jigen and Alex in it, YAY. It's all about them really, the girl I stole Alex from.

And J. Lucy-Daisuke, thank you so much for you awesome review. It means a lot. Don't worry there will be a whole lot more of Alex and Jigen to come. And of course a whole lot more of Fujiko and Goemon, I hope. Oh, and I'm seriosly considering that Inuyasha fic. I should have it done in a few months. I think it might be a chapter fic, I dunno. It should be started soon though.


	13. Waiting For A Girl Like You

Are You Ready For Love 

Author's Note: Well I had fun writing this story, and it's a pity it's almost over. But I do want to say, I'm glad most of the people that read this story like it. It means a lot to me to have people think so highly of my stories.

Disclaimer: Not mine, but I'll take Goemon as a constellation prize.

Chapter Title: Waiting For A Girl Like You.

_I've been waiting for a girl like you to come into my life  
I've been waiting for a girl like you, your loving will survive  
I've been waiting for someone new to make me feel alive  
Yeah, waiting for a girl like you to come into my life_

Waiting For A Girl Like You, Foreigner

Chapter Summary: Christmas Time!

(On With The Story)

Jigen landed the helicopter on top of a roof of a New York mansion. The others he had dropped off at the hotel, as he had told them earlier, there was some place he wanted to be. He had called Alex and told her he would be in Washington D.C. for a bit and she told him to stop by New York if he was able, and he was. He had called her from the Hotel in Washington and told her that they were down with their job and he could fly there right away. She told him she would wait for him on the roof.

When he looked out the window of the hotel he could see she wasn't lying. She was standing in the door way waiting for him. He finished shutting down the helicopter and climbed out.

"I'm so glad you made it," Alex said running forward and hugging him.

"So am I," he replied hugging her back.

"Well come on, it's freezing out here," she told him dragging him in the doors.

"You sure your dad won't mind having a helicopter on his roof," he asked her with a laugh.

"He won't notice, the house is too big," she replied.

"Alright," he replied walking down the stairs to the hallway.

They got about halfway through the main hall of the house leading to the ballroom when a black haired woman walked out.

"Alexandra, who is this man," she asked looking at Jigen her face disdainful.

"That's none of your business mom," she replied.

"Seeing as you're my daughter it makes it my business," she told her. "Actually no it doesn't Arista, it's none of your business who Alex spends her time with," Alvin said walking out the room.

"Fine, she wants to hang around people who look like bums she can, not my reputation it ruins," Arista snapped and walked back into the ballroom.

"Well, now you've met my mother," Alex said glaring at the room Arista walked into.

"That's your mother?" Jigen asked shocked.

"Yep, dear old mom," Alex sighed.

"Dear isn't exactly the word to describe her, I would use a few others," Alvin said.

"I know, sarcasm, look it up dad," Alex said shaking her head.

"What's with your mom?" Jigen asked her.

"She's a snob, a bit time snob," Alex replied.

"If you want to put it lightly," Alvin said dryly. "Come on, the guests want you in there Alex."

"Great," she muttered and walked into the party with Jigen.

"I take it you're not happy about this," he asked her.

"God no, I hate these stuffy Christmas parties," she told her.

The minute Jigen walked into the ball room he could tell that it was an upper class party. People weren't really partying; most were standing around sipping champagne gossiping, or slow dancing.

"See what I mean," Alex muttered to him.

"Oh yeah, and you deal with this each year," he asked her.

"Of course I do, ever since I was born," she told him.

"I pity you," he told her.

"Why would a dirt bag like you pity a girl who grew up at the height of society, I think she should pity you," said a voice behind them.

"Mother why don't you shut that fake little mouth of yours and leave me alone," Alex snapped turning around. "Because I will not allow you to bring trash like him in my home," Arista told her with a nasty look.

"The only trash I see Arista, is you," Alvin replied seeing as he was still standing with them.

Arista walked away from the wall she was leaning against and glared at Alvin.

"You are making a huge mistake letting her bring him into this party and you know it," Arista said.

"The only mistake I made with this party is allowing you to be here," he told her.

"If you didn't people would wonder why you didn't let me, your own wife show up, and allowed your whore of a secretary show," Arista said nastily.

"Leave Amber out of this," Alex snapped at her.

"Why when it's so much fun watching you get mad because I speak the truth, if the girl had any morals she wouldn't be dating a married man," Arista said.

"If you had any morals you wouldn't be having a different man in your bed once a week, married our not," Alex snapped.

"Umm, Alex how about you go over and talk to the DuGrey's while I handle this situation then show Daisuke around, it's about time I talk to the man," Alvin told her.

"Alright," Alex muttered obviously not happy and walked over to an old couple standing next to the drinks.

"Listen Arista, you keep your spiteful words off our daughter and Amber, you hear me," he told her.

"Why, Amber is a whore, and Alexandra is no better wasting her time on a scum bag like him," she said.

"You know I'm standing right here don't you," Jigen asked her. "I'm sorry but if you start insulting Alex you'll have me to deal with, and that's not a good thing."

"I'm so scared," she said sarcastically and walked away.

"How can you put up with a wife like her," Jigen asked Alvin.

"I don't know, thought I'd be in an institute by now to tell you the truth," Alvin told him.

"Why aren't you," Jigen asked him.

"To tell you the truth, because I had Alex. My daughter is the most important thing in my life which is why I wanted to talk to you, don't break her heart," Alvin told him.

Jigen looked at the man and knew those words were more of a statement, they were a threat. He was telling him if he hurt his daughter he would have him to deal with without actually saying the words. Jigen actually respected him for that; a man who protects his family is okay in his book.

"I promise I won't do anything to hurt Alex," Jigen told him.

"You know what, I actually believe you on that one," Alvin said looking at him.

"Really," Jigen asked him. "Even if this is the first time you've ever spoken to me?"

"I don't know, you just seem like a good guy," Alvin told him.

Jigen looked at Alvin. He was shocked; he had expected someone completely different. Now he was where Alex got her kindness from.

"Thanks," Jigen told him.

"Now you want something to drink," Alvin asked him.

"Yes, after the encounter with your wife, I really could use a glass of scotch," Jigen told him.

"Good taste," Alvin replied walking with him over to where Alex stood by the drinks.

"So, mom finally quit bitching," Alex asked them.

"No, your boyfriend scared her off," Alvin replied.

"Jigen, what did you say," Alex asked her.

"Just told her if she insulted you she'd have me to deal with," Jigen told her.

"Well thanks," Alex said smiling.

"What happened to the DuGrey's?" Alvin asked her.

"They said they were going to talk to the Masons," Alex told him.

"Alright," Alvin replied.

"Where's Amber," Alex asked him. "I dunno, she was supposed to get Zander ready and be down here," Alvin replied confused.

"They're probably arguing, you know Zander hates these parties as much as I do," Alex told him.

"True, wait there she is, and she doesn't look happy," Alvin told her.

"She looks livid," Alex replied.

Amber got over to where they were standing and smiled at Alex despite her obvious bad mood.

"You look great Alex," she told her hugging her.

"You think," Alex asked looking down at the blue dress she was wearing. "Jigen over here didn't even notice."

"I don't notice what someone's wearing," Jigen told her.

"I'm just having some fun, trying to lighten the mood, where's Zander," she asked Amber.

"He took off with some friends, I go up there to see if he was dressed and he's gone, left a note on his desk," Amber replied.

"Which is the reason for the bad mood," Alvin asked her.

"Pretty much," Amber told him.

"Come on, I was going to pour a drink, but I think you need to be shown a good time to cheer you up," Alvin told her.

"Really, at one of these parties, you think it's possible," Amber asked him.

"Yeah, come on, let's dance," he said.

"Fine," Amber said sighing and they walked out to the dance floor.

"Your mom doesn't think to highly of her or you for that matter," Jigen told her.

"My mom hates me because of the fact that she was so pretty before I was born and I ruined her figure. My mom is in love with herself, she'd marry herself if it was possible. She's like Narcissus in Greek Mythology, and my mom hates Amber because she stole my dad away and my dad wants to leave her for Amber, but she won't let him, the divorce papers are on her desk collecting dust," Alex told him. "Hopefully she meets the same fate as Narcissus," Jigen told her.

"Oh I wish she would," Alex muttered.

"You really hate her don't you," Jigen asked.

"Why not, she hates me, she always has, not one memory do I have of her smiling at me, or even being in the same room as me by myself," Alex told him.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that," Jigen said wrapping his arms around her.

"It's not your fault, at least I had my dad though, he treated me as a princess, so I really have no reason to complain do I, and I have Amber, she's like a mom to me," Alex told her.

"True," Jigen replied and smiled at her.

"I have a question though," Alex told him.

"What's that," Jigen asked her.

"Lupin said something that morning at breakfast about your girlfriends betraying you, what's that about," Alex asked him.

"That's not really something I want to get into Alex," Jigen replied looking away.

"Really, well then I won't bug you about it, I was just curious though, I'll tell you this right now, I won't hurt you, if you don't hurt me," Alex told him.

"Sounds good to me," he told her with another smile.

"What's with this hat, the only time I see you without it is at night," Alex told him.

"It's just a habit I picked up as a teenager to wear a hat," he told her.

"Well I like it," she said.

"Really," he asked.

"Yeah, I wish I had one like it," she told him.

"Well here, wear it and tell me if you like it," he said taking it off.

"It'll be too big on me," she said giggling as he put the hat on her head.

"A little bit, but it looks good," he told her. "Really," Alex asked him tilting the hat up.

"Yep," he told her.

"How do you see in this thing," she asked taking it off.

"Well for one, it fits me so it doesn't fall over my eyes and another I'm used to it," he told her.

"Well put it back on Cowboy, it doesn't work for me," Alex told him.

"Cowboy?" he asked wondering where she got the nickname.

"You dress like one," she said giggling again.

"Well, let's just keep that nickname between us," he told her.

"Fine by me," she said leaning up and kissing him. "I'm glad you came."

"Same here," he said kissing her back.

"Come on, my dad has the right idea, be nice to dance," she said looking at the couple dancing.

"I don't dance," Jigen replied.

"Please," Alex asked with a begging look in her eyes.

"Fine," he told her.

They walked onto the dance floor and he wrapped his arms around her waist as they started dancing.

(A ferry on the way to New York City)

"I still can't believe your ex-wife moved to New York," Lorraine said looking at Zenigata.

"I know, I was shocked when I got the letter myself, but that's what it says," he told her.

"So you excited about seeing Aria again," Lorraine asked looking at him.

"Of course, I haven't seen her for months, she barely knows me and I'm her father, so yeah I'm happy to see her again," Zenigata replied.

"That's about how I feel with Caleb, I mean I missed his second birthday, and I was really hoping to be able to spend time with him, I'm glad we are able to be off for Christmas," Lorraine said.

"I know the feeling," Zenigata told her.

The ferry docked and they got off.

"Looks like I'll see you in a few days," Zenigata told her.

"Yeah, bye Souta, good luck with Aria," she told him.

"Thanks, I need it, Raven will kill me for being away from our daughter so long," Zenigata replied.

"No, I think she'll understand, and with her being newly married, I'm sure she's in too good of a mood to be mad," Lorraine replied.

"Good point," he sighed.

"See you in a few days Souta," she said and called a cab.

"See ya," he replied.

After her cab drove off he called his own and gave the cab driver the address to his ex-wife's' new home. He paid the cab driver when they pulled up in front of the house and got out.

He took a deep breath before walking up to the door knocking. After a few minutes a woman with long dark brown hair, and brown eyes opened the door.

"Souta," she said obviously shocked to see him there.

"Hi Raven," he said.

"Still wearing the trench coat," she asked leaning against the door frame.

"It's an Interpol thing," he told her.

"Aria saw you on TV, she thought you were the regular hero yelling at Lupin like that, she laughed when Lupin's face appeared on the TV," Raven told him. "Apparently she said he looked like an Elvis wanna be cause his sideburns."

"She's still up right?" he asked her.

"Yeah, why," Raven asked.

"I got a Christmas present I wanted to give her," he told her.

"Come on, she was hoping you would come, I think it was her Christmas wish," Raven said smiling at him.

"Well I'm here," he told her walking in.

Zenigata walked into the living room to see a little girl with brown hair sitting on the floor playing with dolls.

"Daddy!" she yelled when she looked up.

"Hi Aria," he said smiling at her.

Aria jumped off the floor and ran to her dad jumping in his arms. Zenigata picked his daughter up laughing. He didn't know how he wanted her to act when she saw him again, but he was really glad she was this happy to see him. He was almost worried that she wouldn't recognize him, but it was obvious she did.

"I've been hoping and hoping you would come to see me," she told him smiling at him.

"Now why wouldn't I, it's Christmas and I want to spend it with my daughter," he told her.

"I wrote to Santa that I wanted to see you for Christmas, I guess he gave me what I wanted," Aria said.

"Looks like he did and I got a present for you now," he said setting her back on the ground.

"Really, what is it, what is it," she asked hoping up and down in excitement.

"Hold on, hold on," he said laughing again pulling a box from his pocket.

Zenigata put the box in her hand. It was wrapped in silver Christmas wrapping which she got rid of real quick.

Aria opened the box and pulled out a golden chain with a heart shaped locket on it. The locket had her name written in Cursive on it.

"Daddy, I love it," she said hugging him tightly.

Zenigata smiled and hugged her back.

"I'm glad you do," he said. "Now, come on, let me put it on you." "Okay," she said, spinning around so he could put it on.

After he had the necklace fastened he turned her around and smiled at her.

"Merry Christmas Aria," he said and hugged her again.

"It is now," she replied. "I missed you daddy."

"I missed you too Aria, the problem is I don't know how long I'll be able to stay and spend time with you," he told her.

"Is it because that monkey that was on TV," she asked him.

"If you're talking about Lupin, sort of, it's my job to check him and make sure he can't do stuff like that anymore," he told her.

"Well, as long as you have a good reason," she told him.

"I would never be away from you unless I have to be," he told her.

"Well I wish that was never," she said.

"So don't I," he replied.

"I'm sorry to break this up, but it's someone's bed time," Raven said.

"Mom, why, he just got here," Aria whined.

"Well, he can stay in the guest room and you can see him in the morning," Raven told her crossing her arms.

"Really? You want to dad, please, please," Aria begged him.

"Of course," he told her.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," she said hugging him and running upstairs.

"She sure is a fire ball lately," Zenigata told Raven.

"She had a lot of sugar today," Raven replied. "I'm glad you could make it, I don't think I would have been able to stand her expression if you didn't."

"I wouldn't have forgiven myself if I didn't come," Zenigata told her. "It wouldn't have been right if I didn't spend Christmas with my daughter."

"You know I hate to say it, but you make a better dad now than you did while we were married," Raven said.

"You sure your husband won't mind me staying here tonight," he asked her.

"Lucas will be here in like ten minutes so I can ask him if it bugs him and if it does, he can sleep on the couch. Our daughter misses you and wants to spend time with you, and if he can't see that a girl should spend time with her dad he is very thickheaded," Raven told him.

"I take it you're happy right," he asked her.

"Which way do you want me to answer that," Raven asked him.

"Truthfully," Zenigata said.

"Well yeah I'm happy, I'm a married woman with a husband who loves me, an adorable five year old daughter who I adore, and an ex-husband who does everything he can to make sure he can see his daughter even if his job doesn't allow him to see her most of the time," she told him.

"I'm glad you're happy, that's all I ever wanted for you," he told her.

"I know," Raven replied and hugged him.

Zenigata smiled slightly and hugged her back.

"Raven, you still up," said a voice from the front door.

"Of course I'm up Lucas, it's only nine o'clock," Raven said leaning back and rolling her eyes.

"Well I thought Aria would have worn you out with as hyper as she was," Lucas said walking in the room.

He had brown hair and blue eyes which narrowed at the sight of Zenigata standing in the living room.

"What's he doing here," he asked confused.

"Souta came to spend Christmas with Aria, and I was wondering if you would let him stay in the guestroom for the night so he can spend tomorrow with her," Raven said looking at him.

Lucas looked at his wife from her expression he knew she wasn't taking no for an answer so he sighed and nodded. "Sure, he can stay," he told her.

"Alright, come on I'll show you where it is," she said looking at Zenigata.

"Thanks," Zenigata said to Lucas.

"Don't mention it, Aria's been begging us to make you come here for the past week," Lucas replied.

"Well, right now I hear her jumping on her bed, Lucas can you go stop her that way I can get him settled in," Raven told them.

"Sure," Lucas said and walked upstairs.

"This way," Raven told Zenigata and led him to the guestroom.

(At Another House In New York)

"Mom, Dad, Caleb, I'm home," Lorraine yelled sitting her bag down in the hallway.

"MOMMY," yelled a little boy's voice and she heard footsteps pounding through the house and looked around to see a little blond blur running from the living room and throwing its arms around her legs.

"Well I'm glad to see you too Caleb," she said laughing and kneeling down so she could be eye level with him.

"I missed you," he replied hugging her.

"I missed you too, now come on, I'm sure grandma and grandpa missed me too," she said picking him up and walking into the living room with him.

"Lorraine, I'm glad your home," her mom smiling at her.

"So am I," her dad agreed.

"I know, but it's only until we figure out what Lupin's doing next, I just wanted to spend time with Caleb before I have to leave again," Lorraine told them.

"You leaving again," Caleb said looking at her.

"Not for a day or so," Lorraine told him.

"Okay Mom," Caleb replied. "Yeah, our show is on."

"Our show?" Lorraine said looking at her parents confused. "He watches the Addams Family because they have our name, he claims our family is like that," her mom told her.

"Well weren't not," she said as Caleb jumped out her arms and ran to the TV.

"Well I told him he'd look like Pugsly if he keeps sitting there watching TV," Lorraine's dad replied.

"It's true," Lorraine said.

"Grandma Lene," Caleb said. "Can you turn it up?"

"Sure," Lorraine's mom said.

Lurlene and John Adams were Lorraine's parents. Both of them had blond hair which would be the reason their daughter and grandson also had blond hair. Lurlene reached over, picked up the remote and turned up the TV for Caleb who started singing the theme song to Addams family.

"He's become obsessed with TV already, I thought kids didn't get into TV until around five when they liked cartoons cause the colors," Lorraine said.

"He just likes the part that says Addams family," John told her.

"Oh," Lorraine replied. "He got the presents I sent right?"

"Yeah, he opened them first they're lying on the couch now, you know how two year olds are, they lose interest fast," Lurlene told her.

"I know," Lorraine said sitting down.

"He fell asleep already, tired kid," John said.

"Hand him here, I'll carry him upstairs," Lorraine said.

John handed Caleb to Lorraine and she carried him upstairs and laid him down to sleep. Before she walked out the room she kissed him on the forehead and told him she loved him.

(A Hotel In Washington D.C.)

"Do you know where Jigen went," Lupin asked.

"To a party to be with Alex," Goemon replied.

They were all sitting down watching TV. Lupin was sitting in a chair when Goemon and Fujiko were taking up the couch.

"Why the hell would he want to do that," Lupin asked.

"I think that Jigen fell in love while in Monaco," Goemon told him.

"With a rich bitch," Lupin said.

"You only think that about her because she hates you," Fujiko replied laying her head on Goemon's shoulder.

"And what's up with you guys?" Lupin asked her.

"Oh didn't I tell you, me and Goemon are together," she told him.

"Already after we broke up?" he asked now getting mad.

"Yes," Fujiko replied.

"I'm leaving, I'll see you guys later," he said pissed off and walked out the house.

"Well that worked to our advantage," Fujiko said leaning back and kissing Goemon.

"How do you say that," he replied kissing her back.

"Because now we're alone," she told him.

"Oh, I get your drift," Goemon replied.

"You better have," she told him and giggled when Goemon picked her up and carried her into the other room.

(Back at Alex's house the next morning)

Jigen opened his eyes to see Alex standing at the doorway in a robe listening to something.

"What's going on," Jigen asked her.

"My parents are going at it again, and this one is good," Alex said.

Jigen looked at her and shook his head.

"You want them to argue and disturb everyone who is trying to sleep in this house," he asked shocked. "Yeah, listen," she told him.

Jigen shut up and listened to what was going on downstairs.

"How dare you let that whore of a secretary live in my home," he heard Arista yell.

They heard Alvin say something but couldn't make it out.

"Come on," Alex said.

"What?"

"I want to hear what they're saying," Alex said walking out the room.

Jigen sighed and got up to follow her.

"I can't believe you, actually doing something like this, don't our wedding vows mean anything," Arista was saying.

"Wedding vows? We haven't had a real marriage in almost twenty years," Alvin replied incredulously.

"We are still married," Arista reminded him.

"Only because you won't sign the papers, damn Arista, I've told you a million times I want a divorce, but you just won't listen, you still won't get it through that thick skull of yours that I don't want to be married to you," Alvin said.

"So you could marry that whore who befriended our daughter, and has a kid of her own," Arista said.

"So I can finally be married to someone I love," Alvin corrected.

"You actually love the gold-digger," Arista asked. "Oh this just keeps getting better and better, at least I know I can keep you from being happy, wish I could get that dirt bag away from our daughter and torture her like she does me."

"Torture you, how can she torture you, you were never around her, and still never are," Alvin asked.

"I almost died because of her," Arista claimed.

"Oh please, that's just a story you tell her, you know it was severe morning sickness, and you just tell her that so she feels sorry for you and wants to everything to keep you happy," Alvin said. "And it's only because you want to keep our daughter unhappy, because you're just a bored, rich, bitch who needs something besides the men in your life to keep you entertained."

"Oh that was a good one," Alex whispered.

"This conversation is over," they heard Arista snap and heard a door slam.

"Does your mom really do that to you," Jigen asked her.

"She used to, until I realized that wasn't my fault," Alex told him.

"Well I'm glad you realized that," Jigen said putting his arm around her as they walked back to her room.

"So am I, can I tell you something you might think I'm crazy for," Alex asked him.

"Go ahead," he replied.

"I really think I'm in love with you," she said looking up at him.

(The End)

I know, I shouldn't cut if off there, but that's it.

And thanks to all my reviewers, I would say your names, but I don't have time you know how parents are. So you know who you are, and thanks. Oh well, I'll say the names anyway.

Ensign Erasu Uraki

Psycho-Katrina15

Thank you both.


	14. Somewhere Someday

Are You Ready For Love 

Author's Note: Well, I'm thinking of stretching out the story a bit, so faithful readers, just keep reading.

Disclaimer: Umm, do I have to admit it. Fine, (In monotone) all Lupin The Third property is not mine.

Chapter Title: Somewhere Someday

Chapter Summary: Mostly just how people are feeling around New Years.

_(Somewhere) Somewhere there's a field in a river  
Somewhere you can let your soul run free  
(Someday) Someday let me be the giver  
Let me bring you peace!  
(Somewhere) Somewhere there's a break in the weather  
Somewhere Where the heart and spirit go free!  
(Someday) Someday it'll be for the better.  
Let this bring you peace!_

Somewhere Someday, NSYNC

(On With The Story)

Alex looked at Jigen with apprehension on her face. She didn't know how he would react to what he said, and the fact that he hadn't spoken in a full minute since she had said the words didn't help much. She saw him visibly swallow then meet her eyes.

"You mean that?" he asked her.

"Yes Jigen, I think I'm in love with you," she told him smiling slightly.

Jigen looked at her, it was obvious now to her that Jigen wasn't upset about what she said, and he was shocked.

"Alex, I don't know what to say, I mean I know you mean a lot to me, and part of me does believe that I love you, but don't you think we moved just a bit fast?"

"Jigen, I know we moved fast, but I always live by the saying, good things take time and great things happen all at once," she told him putting her hand on his cheek and smiling at him, her blue eyes shinning.

Jigen looked at her and smiled back. It was true; this girl had broken the barrier to his heart. She had somehow slipped past the shell he had put over himself, he had seen it coming and was powerful to stop it.

"Alex, I think I feel the same, I don't know how, but you have become so important to me in such a short amount of time, and it actually scares me to think about it, but I know that I can't lose you," he told her.

"That's all I needed to hear," she said and kissed him.

Jigen kissed her back and backed away to smile at her again.

"Let's just hope that I don't do something to screw this up, it's something I would do, say something stupid, piss you off, and you hate me forever," he told her with a laugh. "Trust me, I can't hate you Jigen," she said and hugged him leaning her head against his chest.

"Good to know," Jigen replied.

(Meanwhile)

Amber sat on the bed her and Alvin had shared for the past few months. They had shared this room while Arista was gone. Down stairs she could hear Alvin arguing with Arista and sighed. She had a feeling she knew what it was about. It was about her being here. Then she heard a door slam and shook her head, at least they had quit yelling at each other.

She ran her hand over the mattress and smiled. It had been a dream waking up next to Alvin every morning with his arms around her. She remembered the speech she had given Alex about how she didn't need to be married to Alvin for her to be happy, that just being with him was enough and sighed. It was a lie and she had known it the minute the words had come out of her mouth.

Alvin was the world to her and she knew it was the same for him. She had only look to his bedside table to know that. Most men have pictures of his wife and him on their wedding day next to their bed. But on his bedside table it was a picture of them at a charity ball. The same charity ball that he had told her he loved her at. That was over a year ago. She picked it up a tear drop sliding down her check.

That night had been the best night of her life. She had been so sure that things would work out for her and Alvin. So sure that they would have a happy ending; but she was wrong, there would be no happy ending for them. She only hoped it would be different for Alex. The girl deserved to be happy after what her mom had put her through.

She sighed and put the picture back down. It was time for her to remember why she was there. She walked over to the closet and pulled out a suit case. She was leaving and she hated herself for it. She knew she needed to leave though. It was time for her to admit that Alvin was married to a woman who would never divorce him. Amber laid the suitcase back on the bed and started putting clothes in it.

It wasn't hard to finish the job, being a single mom had made her keep less and less clothes as the years went by. She looked around the room when she was done and her eyes filled with tears. She didn't know what to take; in fact, she didn't want to take anything else. This was her and Alvin's room. Not his and Arista's then for a short time his and hers, it had been theirs, Arista hadn't slept in this room in over a decade and she knew it.

Alvin had made sure he had turned this into their room the first day she arrived here. All their stuff was set up as if it had been that way for years and it touched her heart that he wanted to take that step with her. She really loved him. She knew deep down that her son didn't like him though and she had no idea why. Alvin had always gone out of his way to be nice to Zander and Zander just threw it back into his face. Maybe it was for the best that she was leaving, Zander had been so happy when she told him she was moving out. She was a mom above all else, and she had to do all it was in her power to make sure her son had a good childhood even without a father.

That's when she heard the door slam shut behind her. She turned around expecting to see Alvin standing there, but instead she just saw a smug looking Arista.

"Finally realize you're not wanted around here?" Arista asked crossing her arms.

"Stay out of it," Amber said snapping her suitcase shut and going to walk past Arista.

Being in the same room as Arista Marriott was enough to make her blood boil, she wasn't to be held accountable for her actions if she was forced to be alone in a room with her as she gloats.

"Oh Amber," Arista said in a too sweet of a tone as she opened to door. "Take my slut of a daughter. . ."

She never got to finish her sentence. By the time she got the word daughter out Amber had sat down her suitcase and slapped her clear across the face. Arista was left holding a beat red cheek as Amber got in her face.

"Don't you ever insult Alex in front of me," Amber told her quietly in dangerous tones.

"Why not, she's my daughter I can talk about her how ever I want to," Arista told her.

"Not in front of me you can't," Amber snapped.

"Why you didn't carry her for nine months, you're not her mother, you can't decide how she's treated in this home," Arista replied.

"I may not have given birth to Alex but for fourteen years, I have been more of a mother to Alex than you were her whole life," Amber told her. "Wait, why am I wasting my time on you? You don't even realize what's right in front of your face; let alone what someone's telling you."

"What are you talking about?" Arista asked.

"Your life, you have an amazing life and you don't even realize it. You have a beautiful daughter with the biggest heart I have ever seen anyone have. A wonderful husband who would do anything to make the people he loves happy and you don't even realize it," Amber said shaking her head. "Alvin loved you at the beginning of your marriage and you took his heart and stomped on it so many times that love turned to hatred. So much so he can't even stand to be in the same room as you. Then Alex, the daughter you should have loved, you spent your time hating until you made her think that she didn't deserve a mothers love. When I met her she was so depressed it made me want to cry. A seven year old girl thinking she deserved to have her mom hate her is the worse sight anyone can see."

"And I'm supposed to care?" Arista asked her.

"No I didn't think you would, you're like a parasite sucking the life out of everyone you come across. You suck the happiness out of everyone around you and you love it," Amber said disgusted. "You enjoy causing other people pain and when you see them finally getting some happiness out of life you can't stand the thought of them being happy and you not, so you just continue, You won't quit until you make sure their miserable for the rest of their lives and it's sick and disgusting and I will never understand how you can do that to people."

"Get out my room," Arista said suddenly.

"It's not your room and you know it," said a voice from the doorway. "It hasn't been your room for years. Now get out, I have something I want to say to Amber."

Amber looked up to see Alvin standing in the doorway. She expected to see anger, or at least some emotion on his face, but strangely his face was void of any emotion at all. That's when she saw where his eyes were looking; they were looking down at her suitcase.

Arista walked out in a huff and Alvin finally looked up and met Ambers gaze. That's when she saw what he was feeling and he broke her heart to see that she was breaking his. She could tell by his gaze that he was upset she was leaving.

"When did you plan on telling me you're leaving," Alvin asked her.

"I was going to tell you on my way out," she admitted looking away.

"Why are you leaving?" he asked quietly.

"I can't stay here Alvin. You're a married man, I need to realize that," Amber said.

"Dammit Amber, how many times do I have to tell you, if I had any choice it would be you I was married to, not Arista," he said sitting down on the bed.

"I know this Alvin, but until Arista agrees to a divorce it's not me, and it's about time we realize that Arista is never going to sign those papers. She will never give up being your wife, she loves the power and money it gives her," Amber said sitting down beside him.

"I promise one of these days I will get her to sign those papers, even if I have to threaten to get her to do it," Alvin said looking at Amber and cupping her cheek in his hand. "I know you will," she said leaning forward and kissing him.

"I love you," he said after they broke off the kiss.

"I know you do, and I love you too," she replied.

"Please Amber, stay, I need you here," he told her.

"You don't need me here Alvin, you want me here," she said standing up.

"Maybe you're right, but Amber, having you here has been a dream come true for me. I love being able to see you in the morning, being able to just have you around was the greatest thing on earth. There are only two things in the world I would die for," Alvin told her softly. "You and my daughter are those two things."

Amber looked at him shocked. She had known Alex would be one of them, but her, she had no idea she meant so much to him.

"Alvin, I want to stay really I do," she said.

"Well then stay, don't worry about my wife," Alvin told her.

"How could I not, you're wife is going off the deep end," Amber said with a sigh.

"I'll take care of her, don't worry about her," Alvin said.

"What about Zander, my son hates you, and I'm not exaggerating he jumped for joy when I told him to pack," Amber told him.

"I'll go talk to him, he may not like it, but it's about time me and him got some things settled," Alvin said.

"Ok, just don't be too hard on him," Amber said.

"I won't, now unpack and get down break fast please," he told her with a small smile.

"Fine," Amber said and kissed him.

Alvin kissed her back and walked out, Amber still couldn't shake the feeling that she needed to leave.

Alvin walked down the hallway to the door that had a "Do Not Disturb" sign on it and knocked.

"Mom, you don't need to knock you know that," said a teenagers voice laughing from inside the room. "Well, if I'm Amber then I guess I can embarrass you in front of all you're girlfriends?" said Alvin laughing.

"Oh, Alvin it's you, what do you want," said the voice.

"Zander, can I come in, I need to talk to you," Alvin said sighing.

"Fine," Zander said reluctantly.

Alvin opened the door and walked in. Zander was sitting on the bed looking at Alvin as if he wished to be anywhere but there right then. Zander looked a lot like his mom with his brown hair and brown eyes, but there was a little of his dad in the temper of his.

"What do you want?" Zander asked. "If you can see, I'm just finishing packing."

"No reason to pack, you're not leaving," Alvin told him.

"What, there is no way you were able to convince my mom to stay," Zander said through narrowed eyes.

"You're staying," Alvin replied.

"Why don't you just leave her alone and quit playing with her emotions!" Zander snapped.

"What are you talking about," Alvin asked him confused.

"My mom, leave her alone, don't you think you've hurt her enough," Zander said looking at him, his face full of anger.

"I haven't done anything to hurt your mother," Alvin said confused.

"Really, you don't call stringing her along, making her think she has a future with you, only to have those hopes crushed stringing her along," Zander asked him.

"I never meant to do that," Alvin said sitting down.

"Never meant to do what?" Zander asked crossing his arms.

"Hurt her," Alvin replied looking at him.

"How could you not mean to hurt her when you pretend to care about her just because you're not happy in your marriage," Zander asked.

"That's not what it is Zander, I care about your mom more than you think," Alvin told him with a sigh. "But you are right, I am not happy in my marriage." "Then why don't you get out of it," Zander asked him confused.

"Because, Arista won't sign the papers," Alvin told him.

"You mean you've tried to divorce her," Zander asked cautiously.

"And tried, and tried, and tried," Alvin replied. "I have been trying since my daughter was seven."

"If you didn't love her, why did you marry her," Zander asked now thoroughly confused.

"Because at one point I did, she wasn't always the way she is now, and then she turned greedy and started acting like she does now. This all happened after your dad left, so me and your mom was already friends. After a while, we just fell in love," Alvin told him.

"Why don't you just leave my mom alone though, being with you and not being married to you is killing her," Zander told him.

"I didn't realize it affected her so much, but your mom knows I'll marry her in a instant as soon as I get divorced and that will be soon if I had anything to do with it. I will not waste another year of my life on Arista," Alvin told him.

"Good, if not, I get to hurt you," Zander told him.

"And I don't doubt you would do it," Alvin said laughing.

"Trust me, I will, I am very protective of my mother, she's been hurt too many times," Zander told him.

"This I know, that's why I don't plan on hurting her," Alvin told him.

"Good to know," Zander said and Alvin walked out shaking his head.

Maybe the kid was actually a nice kid after all.

(Meanwhile at an Ice Skating Rink in New York)

"Come on Caleb, just hold my hand, you won't fall," Lorraine said taking her sons hand.

"Mom," the little boy whined as she pulled him on the ice.

"Just hold on, I won't let you go," she said laughing.

"Alright," he said and Lorraine went out further on the ice.

Caleb was holding on to her hands as hard has his little fists would let him. "Told you I wouldn't let you go didn't I," Lorraine said with a smile.

"Yes," he said with a small smile.

Lorraine looked around and that's when she saw something that shocked her in the crowds. Zenigata was there, it was hard to miss the trench coat. But he was there with a little girl. She smiled at the thought; he was obviously having a good time with his daughter. She only hated the thought that Lupin was going to ruin the time they were able to spend with their kids.

"Caleb, hold on tight, I'm going to skate over to a friend alright," she said looking down.

"Okay," Caleb said tightening his girl a little.

Lorraine looked over to where Zenigata was and skated over there as fast as she could with Caleb holding on.

"Souta," she said when she got close enough.

Zenigata looked up and smiled.

"Lorraine didn't know you'd be here," he said.

"Yeah, taking Caleb Ice Skating, but he seems afraid of the ice," she said looking down at her son.

"Not ice, these," he said pointing to his feet.

"You're scared of the skates?" she asked shocked.

Caleb nodded.

"Why?"

"Because, they're sharp," he told her.

"Oh Caleb, they won't hurt you, come on, I'll take you off the ice and get your shoes on alright," she told him.

"Poor kid," Zenigata said shaking his head.

"Yeah, so when did you learn to skate," she asked.

"When I was a kid," he replied.

"Daddy, can I have some cocoa," said the little girl at his side. "Yeah come on," he told her.

They all four got off the ice, Lorraine and Caleb to take off their skates, and Zenigata and Aria to get his daughter some cocoa.

After Zenigata got Aria her Cocoa he sat down beside Lorraine and shook his head, Aria sitting beside him sipping her cocoa.

"So, how has your vacation been," Lorraine said putting Caleb's ice skates in her bag along with her own.

"Good so far," he told her with a smile.

"Now you're Aria right?" Lorraine asked her.

"Yep, that's me," Aria said.

"That's a beautiful locket; did your dad get it for you?"

"Yes he did," Aria said smiling.

"Well he has good taste," Lorraine told her.

"Are you friends with my dad?"

"We work together," Lorraine told her.

"You're a hero too?" Aria gasped.

"Hero?" Lorraine asked.

"That's what she calls cops, she thinks they're heroes because they get the "bad guys" off the streets," Zenigata told her.

"Oh, well then I guess I am," Lorraine said.

"Well nice to meet you," Aria said and went back to her cocoa.

"You okay, you seem a bit upset," Zenigata said looking at Lorraine.

"Yeah I'm fine, just thinking," Lorraine told him.

"About what," Zenigata asked.

"Nothing really, just that if she knew me when I was in high school, she would have referred to me as one of the bad guys," Lorraine said with a small laugh. "Really?"

"Yep, you name it, I did it," Lorraine told him. "I did everything there was to do out there that could put you in jail."

"Then why did you become a cop?" Zenigata asked her.

"My brother, he did all he could to make sure I changed my ways," Lorraine told him.

"Where is he now?"

"He died right before I graduated high school, and I became a cop because of that, he put his life on the line everyday and was killed in the line of duty. So I decided I would honor his memory by becoming a cop," Lorraine said softly.

"Lorraine, I'm sorry," Zenigata replied shocked.

"It's okay, it happened years ago," Lorraine said.

"Mom, I'm hungry," Caleb whined.

"Alright, come on, I'll take you to get something to eat," she said standing up. "It was nice seeing you again Souta; I'll see you when Lupin comes up with some crazy scheme."

"Yeah, bye Lorraine," Zenigata said.

Lorraine picked up Caleb and her bag then walked out.

Zenigata watched his daughter drink her cocoa then when they were done they went back out on the ice. His mind was still on Lorraine though. She had seemed so upset when she told him about her brother. He hoped she was alright.

"Daddy watch this," he heard Aria say.

Zenigata snapped out of his thoughts just in time to see Aria do a spin on the ice and smiled.

"That was great," he told her.

"Thanks," she replied with a smile.

Zenigata skated off to join her, his thoughts once again plaguing him. He finally decided to stop worrying about it and be happy he was spending time with his daughter.

(In Washington) Goemon woke up to the sight of Fujiko sleeping soundly beside him and smiled. He had dreamed about this so many times, he couldn't believe it was actually happening. Waking up to having Fujiko in his arms was a dream come true.

He battled with the thought of waking her and finally decided he should so he leaned over and kissed her.

"Hmm, morning," Fujiko said yawning when she woke up and broke off the kiss.

"Good morning to you," he said with a smile.

"You're really happy aren't you," she asked him smiling.

"Yes I am why wouldn't I be? I have you, that's all the reason I need in the world to be happy," he told her.

"Good to know," Fujiko said leaning over to kiss him again.

She couldn't believe how easy it was to go from being Goemon's best friend to the woman he loved. She couldn't believe how long he had loved her. He had told her last night that he had wanted to be more than friends since they were fourteen, and that was nine years ago.

Things with Goemon just seemed so simple. He was a simple guy, he just wanted to be with the people he loved and have them love him back. With Lupin it was different. Things had been really complicated. It was a constant battle of whether she hated him or not. Then there was the many times they had broken up because he screwed up.

There was also something about Goemon she couldn't explain. She just felt drawn to him. The feeling overwhelmed her. She didn't know what she would do if she didn't have Goemon in her life.

She was scared she would do something to mess this wonderful thing that she had with Goemon up but she knew she couldn't.

"Goemon," she said softly after the kiss broke off.

"Yes," he said.

"I love you," she told him. "I know how I feel, but I don't know how to be in a relationship that works. I'm telling you this right now, so if I do something stupid to screw it up, please, understand that."

Fujiko was looking at him biting her lip and Goemon smiled.

"Fujiko, I don't think there is anything in the world you could do to make me not one to be with you," he told her.

"You mean that," she asked.

"Of course I mean it, I love you, and I always will," he said.

"I love you too," she said smiling.

"Good to know," he said.

"So what are we going to do now," she asked him stretching.

"That's up to you," he replied.

"Well, I was hoping to stay in bed all day, but I'm kinda hungry," she said.

"Well, how about I go pick us up some breakfast, then we stay in bed all day," he suggested.

"Sounds good to me," she told him.

Goemon got up and dressed then walked out. Fujiko laid back on the bed smiling. She was going to like this day. Spending all day in bed with Goemon, it sounded alright to her.

(Back at Alex's)

"So when do you guys leave," Alex asked Jigen over breakfast.

"I don't know, that's all up to Lupin," Jigen replied.

"What do you do for a living," Alvin asked him.

"He works a bunch of jobs for his friend Lupin, they travel all the time so it's never the same job," Alex interjected as Jigen hesitated.

"So you don't have a fixed salary," Alvin asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, but we usually make enough money to carry us on to the next job," Jigen told him throwing Alex a grateful look.

"Do you enjoy your job," Amber asked.

"Sometimes," Jigen replied. "Depends on Lupin's attitude, sometimes I just wish I didn't work for him." "Then why do you," Amber asked confused.

"Because he's a friend and if I didn't work for him the guy wouldn't know what to do with himself," Jigen replied.

"Sounds like an idiot," Zander said from where he was sitting.

"He his, he was racer number three at the Grand Prix," Alex told him.

"Oh the baboon dude," Zander said with a nod.

"Yeah, that's who I work with," Jigen told him.

"I'd shoot him, Alex looked like she wanted to," Zander said.

"She does," Jigen replied.

"He won't let me use his gun to shoot him or else I would," Alex told Zander.

"You have a gun?" Zander asked shocked.

"Yeah," Jigen replied.

"What kind?" Zander asked him.

"S&W M19 Combat Magnum," Jigen told him.

"You're shitting me," Zander said eyes wide.

"Watch your mouth," Amber hissed at Zander.

"No I'm not," Jigen said shaking his head.

"He's not, I've seen it, he always wears it in a holster on his hip," Alex told him.

"Can I see," Zander asked.

Jigen sighed and pulled out his gun showing Zander.

"You weren't shitting me," Zander said staring at the gun.

"Zander, watch your mouth," Amber snapped again.

Alvin watched the scene in mild amusement. He didn't like the idea of someone having a gun out while he ate dinner with his family, but he could tell Jigen didn't like showing it off so he knew for a fact that the guy wouldn't shoot anyone. It was kinda surprising that Zander was impressed by the gun. Then again, the guy's mafia appearance might have something to do with it also.

After Jigen got the gun put away they all ate in mild silence occasionally discussing something here or there.

Well there you go the end of the chapter. Thanks to Psycho-Katrina15 and Goemon's Lady for your reviews. Goemon's Lady, if you review this chapter, I am sorry for confusing you on the last. I still have at least two chapters to write before I go into the sequel. I would say more, but my sister is going to the hospital to possibly have her baby tonight and I have to get off the comp fast. I wanted to get this chapter up though. So thanks for reading and reviewing.


	15. You Had Me From Hello

Are You Ready For Love

Author's Note: Almost done, right now, I have at least this chapter and another one left, maybe another after that, depends on how much I write on these.

Disclaimer: Yada, Yada, Yada

Chapter Title: You Had Me From Hello

Chapter Summary: New Years

_Well,you had me from "Hello"  
I felt love start to grow the moment I looked into your eyes  
You won me, it was over from the start  
You completely stole my heart  
And now you won't let go  
I never even had a chance you know? You had me from "Hello"_

**You Had Me From Hello, Kenny Chesney**

(On With The Chapter)

Lorraine sat on the front porch of her parent's house watching the snow fall. Caleb was inside taking his nap, she had told her mom to call for her when he wakes up. That's when she saw the car coming down the drive ways towards her. Through the snow she could barely make out that the driver was female. She knew she recognized the car, but it couldn't be who she thought it was. Darrah was in Italy for a while, why would she be back now?

When the driver got out she was even more confused. It was her friend Darrah. What was she doing back from Italy? Darrah walked through the snow and walked unto the porch. Her medium brown hair was pulled back into a pony tail and she was wearing a baby blue sweater and blue flare jeans.

"Hello," Darrah said knocking the snow off her shoes, her voice lifting in a soft southern accent.

"Umm Darrah, how come you're not in Italy," Lorraine asked her.

"Took time off for Christmas," Darrah told her sitting down.

"How are things down in Mississippi?" Lorraine asked her.

"My dad's sermons are as boring as usual," Darrah told her.

Darrah Jones was Lorraine's partner at work. She had grown up in Liberty, Mississippi. Her dad was a preacher and her mom was a day care runner. She had lived pretty much the same past as Lorraine. Only she had done it to rebel against her father, him being a preacher and all. She had gone to the parties, drank the alcohol and did the drugs. Then when she got into her last year of high school she decided she wanted to shape up and become a cop. Lorraine still didn't know why.

But they had met at the Police Academy and instantly became best friends. Darrah had been there to help Lorraine when Caleb's father had taken off. Darrah had never met the guy, but she told Lorraine that if Lorraine and she were ever walking down the street and she saw her, to point him out and he would be shot on sight. They were now both twenty three. And where Lorraine didn't want a relationship, Darrah couldn't keep one. Every time she thought she had met the guy she was supposed to be with the rest of her life after a few months, they would get up and take off.

"Still not into the church scene," Lorraine asked with a smile.

"Of course not," Darrah said looking offended. "So how are things with you?"

"Good, got to see Caleb again," Lorraine told her with a smile.

"Does he still want me around all the time," Darrah asked with a grin.

Caleb acted as if Darrah was his second mom, when Lorraine wasn't in the room, he was following Darrah everywhere.

"He asked about you the other day," Lorraine told her.

"Good, I'm glad he still loves me," Darrah said with a laugh.

"Of course," Lorraine told her.

"So how's the, and I quote "partner that reminds you of an overgrown ape," Darrah asked.

"Souta's good," Lorraine told her.

"First name basis now," Darrah asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah, we reached an understanding," Lorraine told her.

"What kind of understanding," Darrah asked.

"We're both parents for one, we both miss our children, and he can actually be smart if he wants," Lorraine told her.

"Really, anything else you want to tell me," Darrah asked her.

"Well, what do you mean," Lorraine asked her.

"Like when you want to tell him you see him as more than a friend," Darrah told her.

"What do you mean, Souta is just a business partner and a friend," Lorraine told her defensively.

"Right, is that why you have a sparkle in your eye when you talk about him, and a blush on your cheek, the last time I saw you with that look is when you got pregnant with Caleb, and I hope this time it doesn't wind up like that," Darrah said crossing her arms.

"I do not have feelings for Souta," Lorraine said stubbornly.

Although Lorraine couldn't fight the feeling that maybe Darrah was right, maybe she did have feelings for Souta and that's why she told him about her past. She hadn't told anyone besides her best friends about how she was as a teenager and now she just told a man she barely knows about it. She only hoped that Souta didn't think less about her after she told him. She really didn't know how he would react to it. Lorraine looked up at Darrah and smiled.

"Okay, maybe I do, but I'm not going to tell him about it, now what about you?" Lorraine asked.

"What about me," Darrah asked her.

"Well you seem happy, and I haven't seen you happy since, what was his name, Doug I think," Lorraine said looking at her.

"Yeah, that was his name, and yes I'm happy," Darrah told her.

"What's his name," Lorraine asked.

"Chris, and he's amazing, I mean he has big beautiful blue eyes, curly blond hair, and my god, the way he kisses," Darrah said leaning back in her chair.

"How much does this guy mean to you already, you've only been in Italy for four months," Lorraine asked her.

"I met him on the flight over, we've gone to dinner a few times, and he treats me like a princess, always buying things for me, always saying sweet things to me, he's just a regular prince charming," Darrah told her.

"Sounds nice," Lorraine said.

She couldn't help but feel as if Darrah was leading herself into a trap. She knew guys that acted like that and then went back on it. Christian, Caleb's dad acted like that. She forced a smile and looked at Darrah.

"I'm glad you finally met someone like him, but Darrah you know your track record, don't go too far with him unless you're sure of how he feels," Lorraine warned her.

"Too late," Darrah said looking at her biting her lip.

"You mean already, after only a few months, Darrah, come on you're smarter than that," Lorraine said annoyed.

"Sorry, it's just he's so sweet, and as I said a good kisser, I couldn't help it, but don't worry, I think he might be it," Darrah told her.

"Darrah, I don't mean to be mean, but that's what you always say," Lorraine told her softly.

Darrah looked at her and Lorraine actually saw tears in her eyes. Lorraine knew that Darrah was always hurt. She would give all the love she has in her and the guys would just turn away. Darrah had always wanted some one to love her for who she was. As a kid it was always because they saw her as the sweet preacher's daughter. In high school people liked her because she was the party girl. And now guys just used her as a passing fancy, and Lorraine really felt sorry for her. Lorraine didn't understand why guys didn't like her though, she had long straight brown hair, brown eyes, and a tan complexion, she was a really pretty woman, and guys just treated her like crap.

"Lorraine, I know my track record isn't that great, but I mean it, this guy is different. I just feel safe when I am with him," she told her.

"Then for your sake, I hope it last," Lorraine told her encouragingly.

"Thank you Lorraine and I hope you can tell your ape you have feelings for him," Darrah said with a laugh.

"Oh thanks a lot," Lorraine told her laughing along with her.

"Just calling it how I see it, but I better go, or else I miss my flight back to Italy, I just heard you were in town and I wanted to see how you were doing," Darrah told her.

"I'm fine, go back to your man," Lorraine told her.

"Don't need to tell me twice," Darrah said as she stood up and hugged her. "Bye Lorraine."

"Bye Darrah," Lorraine said as she walked off in the snow.

Lorraine sighed when Darrah drove off. She couldn't help but feel as if Darrah's relationship was doomed. But it was good to see her again; Darrah had been transferred to Italy after a few months of working there for a special case. It was good she left when she did though. There had been some trouble in the office with her and another detective named Rico Melendez. Lorraine laughed softly when she thought of Rico. He went by the nickname Rico Suave after the song. He and Darrah had gotten drunk one night, and him thinking she was his pregnant fiancée Mia, had slept with her. After that everything in the office had changed. Soon after she went to Italy, Rico had been transferred to L.A. She kinda missed having mister Suave around. The office was boring without him. Then she had been transferred to Interpol. Lorraine sighed and stood up. She walked inside and called to her mom that she was leaving and made her way to her car.

She needed to do something before she died of boredom and she had no idea what that was.

(Meanwhile at Alex's house)

"Alex, where the friggen hell is my gun?" Jigen asked as he was putting his shirt on.

"What do you mean?" she asked him.

"I mean, where is my gun?

"Someone took your gun," she said shocked and walked over to him.

"Obviously," he told her. "I had it last night at dinner, and now I don't."

"I wonder who would take your gun," Alex asked him.

"I don't know," he said.

Alex knew he was pissed; his gun was like a kid to him. He treated that gun like most people would treat their babies. Alex wanted to know who stole his gun. That's when they heard the gunshot from outside.

"I think I know where your gun is," Alex said peering out the window.

"Where," he asked walking over to her.

"Right out there," she said and pointed out the window.

Jigen looked out the window and saw Zander with his gun shooting at some targets.

"I'm going to kiss that kid," Jigen said as he put his hat on and walked out the room.

"Oh great," Alex muttered and walked out behind him.

Jigen was muttering under his breath as he walked across the yard to Zander. The minute he gut behind him he popped him upside the back of his head.

"What the hell," Zander said turning around. "Oh hi Jigen."

"What the hell do you think you're doing firing off my gun without asking me about it first," Jigen asked pissed.

"I found it on the base of the stairs, I'm thinking Arista wanted to use it on my mom, I decided I would try it out," Zander told him.

"Listen kid, I don't let anyone touch my friggen gun, not even Alex," Jigen told him.

"What's so special about it," Zander asked him as Alex reached them.

"I just don't let people use it," Jigen told him taking his gun and putting it in the holder on his belt.

"Fine," Zander said rolling his eyes.

"Zander, be lucky he didn't shoot you with it, he doesn't miss a shot," Alex told him pulling Jigen away.

"Friggen kid," Jigen muttered walking into the house.

"Calm down Jigen, at least no one stole it, he just wanted to see what it shot like," Alex said.

"He's lucky I didn't show him," Jigen said as he sat down on the couch.

"I know," Alex said shaking her head.

"Alright, I think I'm calm now," Jigen told her after taking a deep breath.

"Good," Alex said and kissed him.

"I can't believe you're actually with this dirt bag," Alex heard from the doorway.

"Mom, get lost," Alex said from the couch not even looking at her.

"I never thought I would live to see my daughter sink so low as to have a dirt bag gunman as a boyfriend. I mean turning down someone like Bryan Grayson for this loser, did you hit your head or something," Arista asked her.

"Are you nuts, I would never in a million years be with Bryan Grayson," Alex snapped.

"That's not what you said a few months ago," said a voice behind Arista.

Alex looked up and saw a man in the doorway. He had steel calculated blue eyes, and light brown hair. He looked the type to be a man of business. Alex couldn't help but shiver when she saw him.

"Bryan what are you doing here, I told you to stay away from me," Alex said to him scooting closer to Jigen.

"I couldn't help but come see you, especially after your mom called," Bryan said walking into the room.

"You called him," Alex said incredulously to her mother.

"Of course I called him," Arista said.

"Alex, I'm disappointed you never returned my calls," Bryan said coldly.

"Why would I? Not after what you did to me," Alex told him.

"What'd he do," Jigen asked her.

"Yeah, what'd he do," Alvin said walking into the room.

"He got me drunk a few months or so ago, and after I blacked out, I can't even remember what happened, I just remember waking up next to him naked. He, well you can figure out what he did," Alex said tears coming to her eyes.

"He took advantage of you drunk," Jigen asked, you could feel the anger coming off him.

"Yeah," she said nodding leaning on him.

"Bryan, get out of my house, and don't bother coming into work Monday," Alvin said looking at Alex.

"As you once said, I invited him, he stays," Arista told him coldly.

"Then you better get him out of my sight unless you want a corpse were he is standing," Jigen said putting an arm around Alex and glaring at him.

"Come on Bryan," Arista said and walked out the room with him.

"You okay," Jigen asked her.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," she said taking a deep breath.

"I'm going to make sure he's gone alright," Alvin said and walked out.

"Thanks dad," Alex said.

"Of course," he said right before he walked out the room.

"I can't believe that guy had the nerve to show up here," Jigen muttered.

"I'm okay Jigen, don't worry about me alright," Alex said forcing a smile.

"Okay, how can you be okay, that guy had the nerve to show up here knowing what he did to you," Jigen asked.

"He claims I didn't tell him no, that I was perfectly okay with it," Alex said softly.

"Okay with it, how can you be okay with it, the guy practically raped you," he said, he was getting angrier by the second.

"Well, that's not what he says, I guess he has to say that to himself so he can sleep at night," Alex replied.

"Well, if you'd let me, one draw of my gun and I can change his gender," Jigen told her.

"No, you're not going to jail on my account," Alex told him.

"Alright, I was just saying," he told her.

"I know, but no way," she said.

"Fine," he said and kissed her.

(Later On In Washington DC)

Fujiko was just getting out the shower when she heard Lupin and Goemon talking. It seemed as if Lupin was fine with her being with Goemon, unless of course it was just shop talk.

"Well need to talk to Jigen about this, but I don't know how he would react with him being in New York with that rich woman," Lupin was saying.

"Her name is Alex," Fujiko heard Goemon say as she got dressed.

"What are you guys talking about," Fujiko said as she walked out the room to see them sitting on the couch talking.

"Well, there's this Diamond micro film in San Francisco, California that supposedly shows you how to make coal into diamonds," Goemon explained.

"Really?" Fujiko asked interested.

"Don't tell me you want it to make diamonds," Lupin whined.

"Hey, I'm a girl, and diamonds are a girls best friends, even Marilynn Monroe knew that, and she was insane," Fujiko said.

"Oh great, now we are going to have to deal with you and a micro film, damn," Lupin muttered.

"Come on, we got to get a hold of Jigen before we do any job," Goemon told them.

"Alright then," Lupin said, and they walked outside to the car.

(NYPD)

Lorraine got out of her car and walked into the police station. She didn't know why but she wanted to see how things were going at her old job.

"Hey Lorraine," she heard someone say behind her.

Lorraine turned around to see a Puerto Rican, and African American man behind her.

"Rico," she gasped and ran forward to hug him.

"What are you doing here, I heard you were working on the Lupin The Third case," he asked hugging her back.

"Home for Christmas, you?" she asked him.

"I'm here working on a case that has made me travel everywhere, Mia is getting pissed," he told her.

"And you're not scared of going home," Lorraine asked with a giggle.

"Oh I'm terrified, Mia is going to kill me," he said with a laugh.

"How are things with you guys by the way," she asked him.

"Good, we're married, the twins are beautiful," he told her.

"That's good," Lorraine told him.

"How's Darrah," Rico asked.

Lorraine looked at him and smiled. She knew things between him and Darrah were weird when she left, but she also knew that Rico had actually had feelings for her before what happened between them. They used to be best friends then things got all weird.

"She's good, she has a boyfriend," she told him.

"Is this one going to stay," Rico asked.

"I dunno, I've never met him, but the way she describes him, he seems too good to be true," Lorraine told him.

"They usually are with her," Rico sighed and sat down on a bench.

"Yeah, I don't see why things have to be so hard with her and guys. She's a great girl, guys just like to use her," Lorraine said angrily.

"Hey, she'll find someone," Rico assured her. "Now what about you, are you still single?"

"Well, yeah," she told him.

"Anyone in your life at all," Rico asked.

"Well," she said slowly and smiled.

"Who is it?"

"Well, he's my partner, and he's not good looking, but he seems to be a really nice guy, and smart, I dunno, I just like him," she told him with a smile.

"Well congrats, and good luck," Rico told her.

"Thanks," Lorraine said. "And I'll tell Darrah you say hi."

"Thanks," he said.

"Of course, what are friends for," Lorraine asked him.

"This," he said before hitting her with a snow ball.

Lorraine laughed and soon they were in a snow ball fight.

(Meanwhile and Ravens)

"Aria, come on, what's wrong," Zenigata asked looking at her.

"You're going to be leaving soon and I don't want you to," she pouted looking at him.

"I don't want to either, but it's my job and if it happens, there is nothing I can do about it, but what I can do, is let you stay up all night and watch the ball drop," he told her with a grin.

"You would do that," she asked him.

"As long as you don't tell your mom, there is a TV. in the bedroom she let me stay in, and tonight you can come up there and watch the ball drop," he told her.

"Thank you daddy," she said and hugged him.

"No problem, now come on, your mom is yelling for you," he told her picking her up and carrying her down stairs.

"Thanks for convincing her to come downstairs," Raven said leading them into the kitchen.

"Of course," he told her.

"Souta, I've been meaning to ask, how come you're still single," she asked him.

"Raven, you know with my job, it's hard to start a relationship, or even keep one," he told her.

"True, but you don't have anyone you would like to be with," Raven asked him.

"There is no one I know well enough to consider it," he said, then thought about it.

"Really, then what's that look about," Raven asked with a smile.

"Aright, so there is one person I wouldn't mind dating," he told her.

"Really, what's her name," Raven asked.

"Why do you care," he asked with a smile.

"Because, I want to make sure my ex is happy, is that such a bad thing," Raven pouted.

"No, actually that's a good thing," he told her. "Ok, her name is Lorraine; she's my partner on this case."

"So you see her everyday," Raven asked him.

"Well everyday that we're working, right now Lupin is hiding and not doing anything so we took time off to see our families," he told her.

"What's she like," Raven asked.

"A lot like you actually. She's smart, funny, bad tempered sometimes, can be nice, and she's a mom," he told her.

Raven raised an eyebrow at this.

"And single," he added at her look.

"You should go after her," Raven told him.

"Maybe," he said before they walked into the kitchen and ate dinner.

(Meanwhile at Alex's)

"I still can't believe you took of with his gun," Alex said staring at Zander.

"Come on, that was hours ago, get over it," Zander muttered.

"Well, I'm shocked he didn't murder you," Alex said.

"Maybe he's nicer than what you think," Zander said.

"Wrong there kid, I just didn't want to deal with the body," Jigen said looking at him.

"Look I'm sorry, I didn't mean you, just stop looking at me like that," Zander said.

"Like what?" Jigen asked.

"Like you want me dead," Zander said. "It's very disturbing."

"Fine," Jigen said. "I didn't realize I was doing that."

"Well you were," Zander said.

They were all sitting at dinner. Arista had left with Bryan hours ago and they couldn't be happier about it. Amber was sitting at the other end of the table watching the conversation in mild amusement. Alvin was shaking his head at how stupid his girlfriend's son was, and Alex was keeping Jigen calm.

Soon they were all done eating and walked out the room. Jigen walked into Alex's room with her and kissed her.

"How you feeling," he asked her.

"I'm okay Jigen," she told him and kissed him back.

"I'm sorry if I keep worrying about you, I just can't help it," he told her with a smile.

"I know, and I don't mind it, like it actually, it shows that you care about me," she said with a grin of her own.

"Of course I care about you, I love you Alex," he told her.

"I know you do, and I love you too, but I need to ask you something," Alex told him.

"What's that," he asked her.

"Why do you seem so nervous about our relationship?" she asked him.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, yesterday when I told you I loved you, you seemed so nervous, I mean scared actually," she told him.

"It's nothing," he told her with a smile.

"Come on, it has to be something, what has you so terrified of love?" she asked him.

"I'm not terrified of love," he told her.

"Not buying that for a second. What happened?" she asked him.

"It's a long story," he told her sitting down.

"Well, I'm a good listener," she told him.

And with that Jigen told her the whole story about what happen in Spain with Reina. When he had finished Alex was looking at him in shock and just a little of horror written on her face.

"She tried to have you killed," she gasped.

"So it would seem," he said with a sigh sitting down.

"No wonder you don't like getting into relationships," she said sitting down in front of him and taking his hands in her own. "Don't worry, I will never do that to you."

"Good to know," he said with a smile and kissed her.

"I love you," she said when they broke the kiss off.

"I love you too," he replied.

"Aw, how sweet," said an annoyingly familiar voice from the doorway.

"What are you doing here," Alex said looking at the doorway with a frown.

"Didn't mean to interrupt," Lupin said walking into the room. "But we need to talk to Jigen about a job."

"Great," Alex said sarcastically and got up and walked away.

"What now," Jigen asked.

"Well the job is in the states, you can be happy about that," Lupin replied with a smirk.

"What is it Lupin," Jigen asked annoyed.

"Well in about two weeks a micro film is going to be transferred to San Francisco and it tells you how to make coal into diamonds, now this would make every diamond we swiped worthless, so I was thinking about destroying it," Lupin explained.

"Sounds good to me," Jigen replied.

"Ok then, umm you guys do know that Zenigata is in town don't you," Lupin asked him.

"No, but I don't think I need to worry about it," Jigen told them.

"Right," Lupin replied.

"I got an idea, until you have to go to San Francisco how about you guys stay here," Alex asked them.

"Sounds good to me," Fujiko said looking around.

"Why don't you guys talk about this "job" and I show Fujiko to a room she and Goemon can stay in," Alex asked them.

"Alright," they replied and Alex and Fujiko walked out the room.

"I still can't believe it, you and Jigen already in love?" Fujiko asked her in surprise as they made their way down the hall.

"Well yeah, is that a bad thing?" Alex asked.

"No, not at all, it's a good thing, a really good thing," Fujiko replied.

"You think so," Alex asked her.

"Yeah, maybe he'll be happy, if you notice, his eyes always look so sad," Fujiko told her.

"I don't usually see his eyes, they're always covered up," Alex told her.

"Oh, you should in the morning before he puts his hat on, or does he always wake you up with his hat on?" Fujiko asked.

"He wakes me up, I know he has brown, almost black eyes, I just wish I could see more of them," Alex told her.

"Well you will, I just can't believe he admitted he loved you, he's not lucky when it comes to love," Fujiko said softly.

"So I've heard, he told me about that dancer, that was awful, how can someone do something like that," Alex asked her.

"I dunno, but I do something's like that to Lupin," Fujiko replied guiltily.

"So I've heard," Alex said laughing.

"You have huh?"

"Yeah, you would never guess it, but he's actually very talkative," Alex told her.

"Hm, never knew that," Fujiko said.

"Well, here's you room," alex said standing in front of it.

"Thanks Alex," Fujiko said putting her luggage down.

"No prob, now I got to go the baboon his room, and keep his hands off me," Alex muttered.

"Good luck," Fujiko yelled to her.

(Later on at Raven's)

"Daddy, I'm here," said a little girls voice from the door way.

"Hey, come on, and sit down, then you can watch the ball drop," he told her, not wanting to say she has to wait three hours for it to drop, he had a feeling she would have to be woken up before the countdown.

Aria climbed up on the bed and sat down beside her father leaning on him. After a few minutes she fell asleep. Zenigata chuckled and covered her up picking up a book. He would wake her up around eleven forty five so she can watch the ball drop like he promised.

Three hours later Zenigata was shaking a very asleep Aria awake.

"Hmm," she said looking at him.

"The ball is going to drop soon, I thought you wanted to watch it," he told her with a smile.

"Alright," she said crawling into his lap and sitting down staring at the TV.

A few minutes later they heard people counting down from ten as a big silver ball slid down a pole in Time Square.

"Five. . .Four. . .Three. . . Two. . .One," they heard and the ball fell.

A second later confetti shot into the air along with fire works. As people sang the chorus to the song "Auld Lang Syne," Zenigata laid his daughter down to go the sleep and shut the TV and light off. The New Year had come and gone, and he was glad to be able to watch it with his daughter. At least it was one holiday he had been able to spend with her in the last five years.

Well there you go. That was the fifteenth chapter for Are You Ready For Love; probably the second to the last. I'm not sure yet. I hoped you liked it. I personally think this is the best. I'm not sure.

J. Lucy Daisuke, thanks for your review. It was unexpected but badly needed. It means a lot to me. You know that, and I hope you update yours soon.

Psycho-Katrina15, thanks for reading the chapter. I know you wanted to review but can't, and I hope you liked this chapter. More of your favorite character Lorraine, and some Darrah and Rico in there.

Thanks all,

LunasStar


	16. She's Got A Way

Are You Ready For Love

Author's Note: Well, this is it, the first in at least a three part story. Last chapter of Are You Ready For Love, and it will be a long one. And soon Open Arms will be up, and it will start exactly where Are You Ready For Love leaves off. So if you want, check that one out too. Oh, I'm sorry if this chapter seems a bit rushed but I had writers block for it since I posted the last chapter so it was hard to write. I guess that's because I knew it was my last chapter until I get the sequel posted. That of course will be soon I just have a Harry Potter story I abandoned in order to get this done I need to update it.

Disclaimer: Do I have to put this; you have fifteen chapters of this. Fine I guess I do, I own nothing, besides Amber, Darrah, and well that's it, those are my only original characters, the others belong to my friend Psycho-Katrina15, who has her own Lupin story by the way. And the rest belongs to Pioneer Entertainment.

Chapter Title: She's Got A Way

Chapter Summary: Well, this is I Left My Mind In San Francisco, Alex says bye to Jigen and they move cross country for a few days. Then they come back home.

_She comes to me when I'm feelin' down  
Inspires me  
Without a sound  
She touches me and I get turned around _

_She's got a smile that heals me  
I don't know why it is  
But I have to laugh when she reveals me _

_She's got a way about her  
I don't know what it is  
But I know that I can't live without her  
Anyway_

She's Got A Way,Billy Joel

(On with The Story)

"I don't want you to go," Alex whined as the others got on the helicopter.

"Alex, we talked about this," Jigen said with a sigh.

It was two and a half weeks after Lupin had told them about the Micro-film and Jigen was saying bye to Alex before they left for San Francisco. They were about to fly off from the roof of Alex's house.

"Can't I come with you," she asked him.

"No, I'm not going to have Zenigata thinking you're working with us," he told her.

"Fine," she sighed. "I just don't want you to leave."

"I know, I don't want to leave either, but I'll be back and I'll be back soon," he said and kissed her.

"Fine if you must go take this that way you can call me and tell me what's going on. It'll be better than worrying about you the whole time you're gone," she told him handing him her cell phone.

"Alright, but don't call it, because if I'm in the middle of a job and it rings, I'm toast," he told her.

"I know, I just want to be able to talk to you," she told him.

"Alright," he sighed.

"I love you," she said after they broke off the kiss.

"I love you too," he said and got in the helicopter.

Alex watched as the helicopter lifted off and sighed.

"You okay," she heard someone ask behind her as they walked onto the roof also.

"Yeah, I'm fine Amber," she said walking over to her.

"You sure, because to me it looked like you were about to cry," Amber said titling her head to the side.

"I know, I just don't want to say goodbye to him," Alex said walking back into the house with Amber.

"Understandable, I don't want to say goodbye to your dad but I have to one of these days," Amber told her.

"What do you mean?"

"Alex if I tell you something, do you promise not to tell your dad," Amber asked her seriously.

"I promise," Alex said confused.

"Alright, come on, I can't tell you this out here," Amber said.

They walked to Alex's room and Amber sat down on the bed looking at her. It was obvious she was upset about something and didn't know how to say it.

"Alex, I'm pregnant," Amber said, and she had to hold up her hand to cut off anything Alex was going to say about this little piece of information and continued. "I know you might think it's wonderful, but in reality it isn't. I'm not going to give the baby up, but I can't stay here with your mom being here. You know being around her is enough to piss me off, and having that kind of stress on a baby isn't healthy. I don't want to leave but I have to, and I know your father doesn't want me to leave, which is why I'm wondering if I should even tell him. He's going to want me to be around so he can be with his baby, but I know for a fact that if I stay, I will lose the baby."

Alex was looking at Amber in shock. Her first reaction was as Amber had said; she thought it was wonderful news. Her father was having another child, he might actually get the son he never had. Then as Amber continued talking she got why Amber was upset about it.

It would be dangerous for Amber to continue her pregnancy in this house, it would be best if she wasn't here.

"Amber, what's my dad going to do, without you around he will go back to being as unhappy as he had been when you guys first got together," Alex said softly.

"I know, I wish there was another way, but your mom, she won't sign those papers," Amber told her.

"I know, my moms a cold sadistic bitch, life would be so much better if she left us alone, but she knows this, and she just wants us unhappy," Alex told her.

They didn't notice the person who walked away from the bedroom door after they went quiet.

"You going to be okay," Alex asked her.

"Yeah, I'll be fine," Amber replied putting on a forced smile.

"You sure?"

"Why wouldn't I be," Amber asked her standing up. "I better go; I'll talk to you later alright Alex?"

"Yeah, bye Amber," Alex said and Amber walked out.

Alex got up and walked down the hall to talk to Zander, she needed to find out if Amber told her only.

Alex knocked on the door, "Can I come in?"

"Sure," Zander said looking up from the comic he was reading.

"How are you," she asked sitting down on his bed.

"Good why?" Zander asked.

"I was just wondering," Alex replied, knowing now that Amber hadn't told Zander yet.

"So, how are you doing, I know your upset over Jigen leaving and all," Zander said.

"Yeah, I've been wondering something, why did you really take off with his gun, I mean I know you didn't find it, you purposely took it," Alex said looking at him.

"Truthfully?"

"Yeah," Alex said nodding.

Zander sighed, laid his comic book down and looked at her.

"Alright, I snuck into your room while you guys were sleeping. I'm glad you guys cover yourselves up by the way, but I took his gun and practiced with it, I wanted to scare Arista into signing the divorce papers so I could actually see my mom happy, it's been a long time since I've seen that, longer than I can ever remember," Zander said. "Then I figured, if I can't scare her into signing the papers I could always kill her and no one would be the wiser.

Alex looked at him in shock and then burst out laughing.

"Zander, I think you're officially part of the family now," she said shaking her head and laughing; and then said in a serious tone. "You were joking about the last part right."

"Yeah, I'll leave the killing of your mother to you," he told her with a grin.

"Sounds good to me," she told him and smiled.

"You okay Alex, you seem distracted," he told her.

"Yeah I'm great, but I got to go, I'll catch you later alright," she said getting up and walking to his door.

"Alright, bye Alex," he said picking up his comic book and reading it again.

Alex was about to walk to her room when she heard voices down the hall. She sighed, and walked towards the room. If they were fighting, she might as well know what they were saying to stop it from getting too bad.

"I don't care what you have to say Arista, I'm not leaving Amber," Alvin was saying when Alex leaned her head against the door.

"I think I have something that would change your mind," Arista told him.

"And I think you're insane but that's beside the point," Alvin replied. "What is it?"

"I'm sure it would interest you to know that your little girlfriend was planning to take off without telling you she's pregnant, I mean, why would she do that, I thought she loved you," Arista simpered.

Alex sucked in her breath real quick. How had her mother known that, there was no way, they hadn't even talked about it a half an hour ago. And it was clear from her tone that Arista was planning on starting an argument between her father and Amber so that Amber would leave for her.

"What gives you that idea," Alvin asked coldly.

"Just that I heard our daughter and her talking about it, Alex seems to agree with her," Arista replied.

Now Alex was fuming, her mother had no right eavesdropping on her conversations, and she had to stop this before her father though Amber had turned her back on him. Alex walked into the room shutting the door behind her; there was no reason for Zander to find out like this.

"She's telling the truth for once. Amber is pregnant, but she was going to tell you, she didn't know how," Alex said without preamble.

The look that Alex got from her dad was one of pure shock. She knew he had expected her mom to be lying about Amber's pregnancy, and the fact that she wasn't only meant that she was telling the truth about Amber leaving.

"When did she tell you?" Alvin asked her tightly.

"About a half an hour ago, she begged me not to tell you. Amber is afraid that if she stays here she would do something to hurt the baby," Alex told him.

Alvin stared at her for a second before he slowly sat down in his chair.

"Arista," he said slowly. "For once listen to me and sign those damn papers."

Arista looked at him as if he was the crazy one and shook her head.

"Nope, not doing it, I'm kinda enjoying this," she told him before walking out.

"Alright that's it, I'm going to kill her with my bare hands," Alex said heading for the door but Alvin grabbed her to stop her from walking out the door.

"I don't think so, you're not going to jail for murder," Alvin told her.

"Dad, Amber is having your baby, you should be married to her, instead of Arista," Alex said emphasizing the use of her mom's real name.

"I know this Alex, and I wish I could get married to Amber and have your mom sign the divorce papers, but I'm having trouble getting the papers signed if you haven't noticed," Alvin said sitting down in his chair again.

Alex knew from the minute his outburst came out that he wasn't in a good mood, but the look on his face told her that her dad was having a very bad time right now.

"Dad, I think you should go talk to Amber about this, it would be better on you both," Alex told him.

"True," he said standing up again.

"Dad, good luck, if you talk to her today it most likely means she's moving out soon," Alex told him when he reached the door.

"I know," he replied with a pained expression on his face and walked out.

Alex sighed and walked back to her room. Why did her mom have to ruin the best thing that had ever happened to her dad?

(Later On In San Francisco California)

"Well we're here at NASA," Lupin whispered to Jigen in the jeep.

Jigen nodded before they pulled up to the doors and gave their names and id numbers.

"Password?" said a voice of the intercom.

"To boldly go where no man has gone before," Lupin told it.

"Second password, please," the intercom replied.

"She can't take much more of this captain," Jigen told it.

"Third password please," the intercom said.

"Huh!" Jigen and Lupin said staring at it.

"What's the third password," Lupin whispered.

"I don't know, but he's dead Jim would be appropriate," Jigen snapped.

"Oh jeez oh mom oh Crap," Lupin yelled.

"That would be correct sir," the voice over the intercom said and the doors opened.

They made their way to a bunch of security lockers. The minute they found the locker they were looking for Lupin put a wire in the lock and went to work picking the lock.

"Hello," he says as the door opens.

When they looked into the locker they saw that it was empty except for a little diamond sitting in it.

(Meanwhile out of town)

"God Dammit Lupin, you get back here," Zenigata said chasing after what looked like a ghost of Lupin in the air.

Suddenly the mirage disappeared and Zenigata fell to the ground crying.

"I'm really loosing it, I just spent the last half hour trying to arrest a mirage," he said.

Lorraine stood off the side shaking her head. She had no idea her partner was a loony and it was kinda funny to figure it out, especially when she admitted to having some type of feelings for him. She had the weird feeling that any second she would realize that he was crazy and stop having feelings for him. At least for her sanity she hoped she would.

"Souta, come on, don't worry about it, spending five years chasing him is bound to make you crack up anyway," Lorraine told him.

Zenigata looked up at her and stood up. He couldn't believe he just had a break down in front of her. He couldn't believe he just spent half an hour chasing a figment of his imagination either.

"I'm really loosing it, aren't I," he asked looking at her.

"Maybe, but who can blame you," Lorraine asked with a small smile.

"Good point," he replied and they walked to her car.

"By the way, while you were off chasing your mirage, we got wind that Lupin is in San Francisco," Lorraine told him.

"Well then what are we waiting for, let's go," Zenigata said.

"You'll never learn," Lorraine muttered as they headed for San Francisco.

(At Lupin's Hideout)

"I can't believe someone got it before us," Lupin was muttering as he paced.

"Calm down Lupin, we'll get it," Jigen told him putting out a cigarette.

"I know, I know all about the local competition and it's a pretty short list," Lupin told him.

"So you plan on finding out who took it and getting it back," Goemon asked.

"Of course, this micro film turns every gem we have ever stolen into cheep ugly, brooches," Lupin told them.

"Well then that's one gorgeous hunk of ugly," Fujiko said staring at it.

"Fujicakes don't tell me you actually like that diamond," Lupin said staring at her.

"Of course, it's gorgeous, and seeing as I'm not getting paid on this, count me out," Fujiko said before walking out.

(Later On at a hotel in San Francisco)

"I still can't believe this, why the hell would he go to San Francisco," Lorraine asked sitting in a chair looking at Zenigata.

"No clue," he replied.

"I mean it seems a bit weird that something he wants is here," Lorraine said pouring her something to drink.

Zenigata lit a cigarette and walked to the window lost in thought.

"All I know is one of these days we're going to get him and we will finally be able to live our own life," he told her leaning up against the window sill.

"You're really lonely aren't you Souta," she said and walked over to him.

"What do you mean," he asked looking over at her.

"Well it's obvious, you're a very lonely, middle aged man," she said smiling at him.

"Who says I'm middle aged," he said looking shocked.

"Well you are in your thirties right," she asked slowly.

"I'm twenty eight," he told her looking confused now.

"Oh, well then, you're a very lonely man," she replied correcting herself. She was amazed at how young he actually was. He looked to be in his early to mid thirties and he was still in his late twenties. Stress really does make someone look years older than what they were. "And don't tell me you're not lonely, because we both are. We are separated from the people we love and it tears us up inside. Only we can understand the pain we're going through."

Zenigata looked at her and gave her a sad smile.

"I didn't know you could read people so well," Zenigata said.

"I usually can't but when you're on the road with the same person as long as I was with you, you learn to read their emotions very well," Lorraine replied.

"Oh," he replied and went back to looking out the window.

"Souta, can I ask you something," she said softly.

"Sure," he replied.

"Why do you still wear your wedding ring, do you still love your ex wife?" she asked him.

Zenigata looked at her in shock then smiled slightly.

"No, I don't still love Raven, we divorced almost five years ago, I wear my ring out of habit," he told her.

"Oh," she replied.

"Now that you mention it, bout time I got used to not wearing it isn't it," he told her and pulled his ring off putting it in his pocket.

"So, you ever plan on getting married again," Lorraine asked.

"Maybe, when I'm not chasing Lupin around," he replied.

"That could be never," Lorraine gasped.

"I know," Zenigata told her.

"Would you really want to be alone that long," she asked him.

"Better than leaving a wife and kid at home because I have to chase after some crazy thief," Zenigata muttered.

"True," she replied sitting down. "I don't want to next few years of my life to be like this. I want to be with my son when he goes to kindergarten; I want to be there when he learns to read and makes all those accomplishments that mean so much to a young kid. Hell I just want to be there."

Zenigata walked over to the chair she was sitting in, kneeled down and took her hands in his.

"Hey, don't worry about it Lorraine, you'll get to spend time with Caleb," he told her.

"How do you know, look how long you were away from your daughter," she told him tears in her eyes.

"Hey, don't cry," he said standing up and wrapping his arms around her.

Lorraine buried her head in his chest and started crying. She didn't know what brought on the break down but it was nice to finally be able to lean on someone and tell them how she was feeling.

It was weird that the person to comfort her was Souta Zenigata though. He had been through what she was afraid of going through; not being there for your child and yet here he was holding her and comforting her.

After Lorraine calmed down a bit she looked at Zenigata and smiled at him.

"Thanks," she said softly.

"Of course," he replied smiling back at her.

Lorraine looked at him for a second before leaning forward and kissed him. At first Zenigata was too shocked to do anything but after a few seconds he wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back. When they broke off the kiss Lorraine just looked at him with a smile on her face.

"I've been dying to do that," she told him.

"Really," he asked.

"Of course," she replied and leaned forward to kiss him again.

(Later On That Night)

Zenigata and Lorraine lay on the bed in dead sleep when two men snuck in the window. They had been forced to share the same bed since the hotel had run out of rooms. The men looked at each other then walked over and put tissues of chloroform over their mouths that way they stay asleep.

"Jeez this guy could use a mint, his breath smells like an ashtray," one of the men said.

"Come on, let's just get our job done," his partner said.

They opened a black case on the bed and started drilling in his teeth. When they were done they closed their case, and took a picture. They went to leave when Zenigata yelled and stood up on the bed.

"Lupin, get back here," he yelled throwing his cuffs forward and getting himself cuffed to his bed.

"Come on, he's just talking in his sleep," the first guy said and they snuck out the room.

They arrived at their hideout later to see their boss waiting for them.

"Did you do it," he asked them.

"Yes boss, this is the guy," they replied handing him the picture.

"Huh? Zenigata?" the boss asked.

"What'd you say boss," they asked, but didn't get an answer because they were hit on the head with a sword and promptly fell unconscious.

"They'll be fine-ish," Goemon replied putting Zantetsu away.

"So Zenigata's the guy," Jigen asked coming from his hiding spot.

"Yes," Lupin said.

"Do you think we can get anymore information out of him," Jigen asked opening a closet.

"Nah, he's been through enough today," Lupin replied staring down at a guy locked in a closet and tied up.

(The Next Day)

Zenigata walked into the psychiatrists' office holding his cheek. His tooth was killing him and he wasn't in the mood for this, yet Lorraine had insisted he see a doctor about his Mirage yesterday. She seemed to think he had lost his mind.

"Hello Inspector Zenigata," the doctor said as Zenigata sat down.

Lorraine was there also but she just stood in the corner watching.

"So it says here that you are seeing things," he said looking at a writing pad in his hand.

"Yeah," Zenigata agreed.

"Any trouble eating," the doctor asked.

"Now that you mention it yes," he told him.

Lorraine looked up shocked, she hadn't known that.

"Any trouble sleeping?"

"Yes," Zenigata asked.

"Can you feel as if this person is watching you at this very moment," the doctor asked him closely.

"Yes as a matter of fact, it's as it his eyes are boring into the very back of my head," Zenigata told him.

"Anything else," the doctor asked.

"Well I have this funny tooth ache," Zenigata told him.

"Uh hmm, hallucinations, trouble eating and sleeping, and feeling paranoid, yes it seems to me that you are in the very bonds of depression," the doctor told him.

"The very bonds of what?"

"Of depression," the doctor cleared. "You just simply have to get this person off your mind."

"It's not that simple," Zenigata started but was cut off.

"Hey, how do you expect me to help you and write an award winning book if you don't listen to me? Now repeat after me, did you ever know you're my hero," the doctor started.

In a few seconds Zenigata and the doctor was standing up and singing the chorus to the Barbara Streisand song "Wind beneath My Wings."

Lorraine looked at them closely after they were done trying not to burst out laughing. That was perhaps the worst rendition of the song she had ever heard, and that was saying something seeing as she had heard a million drunken versions of it in bars in New York.

"Keep your day jobs," Lorraine told them.

Zenigata looked at her in shock and looked away. He had forgotten she was there and now that he remembered her he wasn't feeling as good as he was five seconds ago.

(Meanwhile across the street)

"Come on, we have to go get that Micro Film," Lupin said and they ran out the apartment.

They ran down the street and got into their red and black forties model convertible. Lupin got out behind Zenigata as he was staring into a window. When Zenigata turned around and saw Lupin, instead of pulling out his handcuffs and trying to arrest him, he ran off yelling that he was just a figment of his imagination. Lorraine stood off to the side with her arms crossed and a look of confusion on her face as they ran off, then after a few minutes went after them.

Jigen and others chased in the car occasionally making comments about Zenigata.

"I don't see why the ol' man is running from us," Jigen said chasing Zenigata down the street. "Although I must admit it does feel good to be running his sorry ass rugged for a change."

They wound up giving up when Zenigata got into a helicopter and flew off. Lupin on the other hand didn't and he got into another helicopter and chased him. Lorraine was once again confused. Why the hell was Lupin chasing Zenigata?

They finally got to the edge of the beach and stood there.

"Come on Zenigata, aren't going to try and arrest me," Lupin said and jumped onto a boat to go after him.

They didn't see the stick of dynamite that was thrown after them and were both shocked when they were in the middle of an explosion. Zenigata was knocked unconscious and Lupin was forced to swim him to the nearest boat.

"We got him boss," one of the guys from the night before said.

"You guys never count Lupin down for the count," said the voice of Fujiko as she walked out to the top of the deck.

"And she should know she's one of my best friends," Lupin said from the water.

"How'd you survive," one of them asked.

"Well some of my friends actually happen to be loyal, like the guy with the shotgun aimed right at you," Lupin told them.

"This is ridiculous," one of them exclaimed.

"Not as bad as the excuses I'm about to hear, come on babe, give me a taste," Lupin replied looking at her.

Fujiko sighed and shook her head.

(Later On sitting on the boat)

"I swear I was going to cut you guys in on the profit," Fujiko told them.

She was having trouble looking Goemon in the eye among the others. She knew the other two weren't surprised at her actions but she could see the disappointment in Goemon's eyes.

"Just admit it, you were blinded by the diamond just like almost every woman out there," Jigen told her.

"Think about it Lupin, you and me working together, just think about how much money we could make," Fujiko said looking at him.

"What a choice, money and sex, sex and money, hey I'm only a man after all," Lupin said laughing.

"How about Money and no sex, no sex and money," Fujiko told him crossing her arms.

Lupin sighed and looked at Zenigata.

"So where's the microfilm," Goemon asked speaking up for the first time.

"Right here," Lupin said plugging Zenigata's nose. "Wake up inspector Sleeping Beauty."

Zenigata sneezed in his sleep and something flew out his mouth and bounced off Jigen's hat while he slowly woke up.

"Hey where is it," Lupin asked.

Jigen made whistling noises while moving his hand in a circle then pointed to the water.

"Kerplop," he said.

"My diamonds," Fujiko gasped running to the edge of the boat.

"Couldn't happen to a nicer bitch, ahem, woman," Jigen muttered.

After that Zenigata woke up and the gang had to swim to their freedom.

(Meanwhile in New York)

Alex stood in her room looking out her window as her dad helped pile things into Amber's car. It was late at night and she was just wanted to get her major things out the house before she moved into her apartment in the morning.

Alex sighed and turned away from the window. It was funny how life just seemed to sneak up on people like her father and Amber. At one minute things are great and they're madly in love. The next, a psychotic bitch of a wife ruins it all.

Her father didn't deserve what her mother was doing to him. She was taking away his one chance at true happiness just because she thought it was fun to watch. She walked out her room and down the steps to talk to Amber. She knew Amber would be gone when she woke up the next morning so she wanted to say goodbye.

"Hey Alex," Amber said looking at her while she put a tote in the back of her car.

"Hi," Alex replied.

"You okay," Amber asked.

"Not really, you're leaving, and now the only other woman in the house is my mother, and I don't want to talk to her, so who am I going to talk to about Jigen," Alex asked her.

"Me, drive down to my apartment a few blocks down and come talk to me," Amber told her.

"True," Alex replied. "Who am I kidding? I'm going to miss you like hell. You're the only person I've ever gone to for advise, well besides my dad, and I've gotten used to having you here."

"I've gotten used to being here, but tomorrow I have to leave, it's for the best Alex," Amber told her.

"If you say so," Alex muttered. "If I don't see you before you leave in the morning, bye Amber."

"Bye Alex," she told her and hugged her.

After Alex walked in Amber slammed her trunk shut and walked into the house with a sigh. She usually wasn't one to give up so easily. If it had been a year or so ago she would have fought Arista tooth and nail to get what she wanted. If it had been a month ago she probably would have knocked her unconscious, but that was a month ago, before she found out she was pregnant, and before this had all become too much for her.

After almost a full three years of defending her relationship with Alvin in her mind, it had finally become too much. She loved Alvin more than anything else on earth, besides her son, but it had finally come to a close. She leaned against the wall and took a deep breath then let it out. At the beginning she had thought there was a chance that maybe Arista would sign the divorce papers so she and Alvin could be together. But she knew now that it was impossible. Amber opened her eyes when the sound of someone coming towards her reached her ears, she groaned when she saw Arista walking up to her.

"Finally decide to leave," Arista asked smugly. "It's good you finally realize that you don't belong here."

"That's where you're wrong Arista, you don't belong here. No one here wants you around. You could die tomorrow and they would dance on your grave," Amber spat at her.

"You think I care," Arista asked her laughing.

"Of course you don't; you don't care about anyone but yourself," Amber snapped.

"Finally you learn that, you sit there and make speeches about how I don't deserve these people, about how great they are, and I don't care, it only makes you look like a fool," Arista told her with a smirk.

"One of these days you'll get what's coming to you, and I only hope that I'm there to see it," Amber told her with a shake of her head.

"We'll see," Arista told her.

"Like I've said before Arista, you are nothing but a spoiled rich bitch. You can't stand seeing other people happy when you're so miserable in life. You like to pretend you're the happiest and richest person in all of New York, when really; you're just as miserable in this marriage as your husband is and the only reason why you don't divorce him is because of the money. I only hope that one day Alvin gets you to sign those papers and not so he can be with him. So that way we can watch you slowly but surely lose all your money and have to work for a living. I think that could be the best revenge," Amber told her.

Arista glared at her for a second before raising her hand like she was going to slap her. Amber tensed and waited for the slap that was sure to come, she wasn't about to back down from Arista, but she knew it would be dangerous to her baby if she fought back. Then she saw a hand wrap around Arista's wrist and watched as she spun around. Amber looked over Arista's shoulder to see Alvin standing behind her with a very dangerous expression on his face.

"You lay one hand on her and you will regret it for the rest of your natural born life," he told her before letting her arm go and walking up to Amber.

"You okay," he asked, eyes full of concern.

"Yeah, I'm great; you think I would let her get to me?"

"You always do," he said with a sigh and wrapped an arm around her shoulder before leading her out the room.

Alex stood at the top of the stairs watching all this with a closed expression on her face. She walked back in her room just in time to here her phone ringing. She walked over to it and picked it up with a sigh.

"Hello," she answered.

"Alex, hey," said Jigen's voice on the other line.

"Jigen, hi, where are you," she asked brightening up.

"San Francisco, we just finished the job," he told her. "You sounded depressed when you answered, what's wrong?"

"What isn't wrong, I'd feel better if I could tell you in person, do you think you'll be back soon?"

"By the end of next week," he told her.

"Alright, I miss you so much already," she told him.

"I miss you too, and I'll see you at the end of the week, your battery is going low so I can't really talk," he told her.

"Damn, I knew I should have charged that the night before, I guess I'll talk to you in a week," Alex said with a sigh.

"Yeah, I love you Alex," he told her.

"I love you too," she replied and hung up with a sigh.

(Meanwhile a hotel in San Francisco)

Jigen hung up the cell phone and shook his head. Alex hadn't sounded right on the phone, there was definitely something wrong in New York and he hated the fact that she didn't want to tell him.

"You okay man," Lupin asked from the couch.

"Yeah, just worried about Alex," he told him with a sigh.

"Why are you worried about her, what could happen," Lupin asked.

"I know, but she sounded upset on the phone," Jigen replied.

"She's probably just missing you, she'll be fine and you'll be able to see her soon enough," Lupin told him.

"True," Jigen said with a sigh.

"You really do care about her don't you," Lupin said shocked.

"I thought you would have known that," Jigen told him.

"Yeah, but I guess it never really sank in, I mean I'm not used to seeing you care about someone so much. Usually you push everyone away," Lupin replied.

"I know," Jigen told him.

"Well, at least you didn't with her, because even if you did, I don't think she would have been easy to push away," Lupin told him.

"No she wouldn't have," Jigen agreed. "Lupin, since when do you understand people?"

"Oh I understand a lot of people. Like with Fujiko and Goemon, I understand right now that they're upstairs, and that no one will be able to break them up even if they moved Heaven and Earth to do it. I know that Alex won't leave you no matter what and that if you go to jail for twenty years she would write you a letter every day and wait until you get out. And I also understand that right now, I'm the only one without someone," Lupin told him with a grin. "That won't last though, and you and I both know it."

"Of course not," Jigen said with a small laugh.

"I mean come on it's me," Lupin told him.

"Lupin, you're not as great as you think you are," Jigen said with a smirk.

"What's that supposed to mean," Lupin asked offended.

"That you're not as great as you think you are," Jigen told him before standing up and walking out the room.

Jigen walked down the street trying to ease the feeling that something wasn't right with Alex. And if there was something wrong with her, he knew he would be able to talk to her soon and make her feel better. As long as Alex wasn't in danger he should be happy, he kept telling himself. But telling himself not to worry was only making him worry more. At least he would be with her soon, he told himself.

(End Of Chapter End Of Story, wait for the sequel please)

Well there it is. The end of Are You Ready For Love. The Sequel, Open Arms should be up soon. I just have to get the first chapter written. So please wait for the sequel and read and review it.

Thanks to all my readers

Thanks to,

Jenna1980, I'm glad my story is helping you plan your own. And I really want to thank you for your review. I don't get many new reviewers and I'm glad you liked it. This story started out as a Goemon story, because he is one of my fave characters of the show but it quickly turned into a three or four part story about all of them.

Whitesepulchre, thank you so much for your review; I have been wondering where you were. I'm am waiting for your update on your story. I really like it. Thanks again for the review.

Psycho-Katrina15, I am glad you liked Darrah and Rico being in the last chapter, and you know as much as I do that they make more appearances in the sequel. And I really look forward to the update on your story. I hope more people take a look at your story after they read mine because you do so much better at Jigen and Alex than I do.

Ensign Erasu Uraki, I'm glad you gave my story a chance. I really love writing about Lupin, I wish an Inuyasha fic would come to me as easily as Lupin does. And I don't usually notice when I switch P.O.V's or sometimes in tenses. I am glad you pointed it out. Maybe after a while I will revise this story and re post it. I hope you liked the ending of this story and go on to the sequel. And I hope you post your Lupin fic soon. I would read your others. But I don't know much about Yu Yu Hakusho, Gundam, Cowboy Bebop, or even MASH.

Well that's all the reviewers for this chapter, and this story would have been up sooner, but I went to a concert this weekend, a STYX concert, and it was well worth it. Great songs, great singers, and it was just plain great. Oh and I'm sorry I shortened the episode so much, it's been almost a year since I've seen it and I couldn't remember all of what happens so I just summarized it, sorry.

LunasStar


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